


Let's Go Together

by miraclebee



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Adulting is hard, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, M/M, Multi, Sexuality Crisis, Some angst, Summer Vacation, Texting, break ups, but nothing graphic, talking about sex, travelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-05-08 03:27:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 32,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14685474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraclebee/pseuds/miraclebee
Summary: This summer is the first one that Hui will be spending away from all of his friends since he met them. Hongseok is nannying for his nieces LA, Jinho is doing musicals in Busan, Yan An is working in Shanghai, Hyunggu is at a dance workshop in Nagasaki, and Hui is left in Seoul to deal with his bi-awakening all by (no pun intended) himself. That is until Hyojung enters his life through a late-night emergency text and worms his way into Hui's heart along with his own crew of misfits out on international adventures of their own.(Or, Hui and co find themselves apart for an entire summer for the first time in forever. The only thing keeping them together is a group chat, an old iPod, and the promise of a k-pop concert at the end of the summer.)





	1. Chapter 1

 

**Group Chat: Pentagon (Jini, HuiHui, Seoki, Yawnni, KiKi)**

**May 31, 2:47 pm**

****

**_Kiki changed the chat name to PentaGONE_ **

**KiKi**

I miss you all already

 

**Yawnni**

 u left for the airport an hour ago

 

**KiKi**

exactly

a whole hour without my favorite people

 

**HuiHui**

awwwwww

I miss u too hyunggu

I hate being stuck at home all alone :////

 

**Seoki**

at least you’re not selling your soul to the devil like me

 

**Yawnni**

im technically gonna be stuck at home too, I don’t see the big deal

 

**Jini**

you’re babysitting, hongseok

that's hardly selling your soul to the devil

 

**Seoki**

actually, I’m nannying?

and I’m pretty sure my nieces are little devil spawns

why did I agree to this again????

 

**Jini**

because your degree is useless and you can’t find a teaching job?

and I’m pretty sure they get the satan thing from your side of the family

 

**KiKi**

 guys, I miss this already

the friendly bickering

 

**Yawnni**

friendly?

more like sexually charged

 

**Seoki**

stop projecting your thoughts on your hyungs yan

 

**Yawnni**

can’t help it when its literally in front of my face

HYUNG

 

**HuiHui**

anyways;; yan an your home is more exciting

you havent been there since last summer

whereas I haven't left seoul in about 3 years

 

**Yawnni**

that is inaccurate

we took that trip to daegu last semester

 

**HuiHui**

but i want to travel like you guys :(

 

**KiKi**

stop talking about leaving!! 

you're making me more sad

 

**HuiHui**

don’t worry ki

we’ll all only be a text away

**KiKi**

still....

it won’t be the same :(

 

**Seoki**

I guess I’ll just have to send you all daily updates of my beautiful face

so you won't forget me

 

**KiKi**

art.

**Yawnni**

u really don’t have to do that

 

**Seoki**

then how will we stay in touch?

ki and jinho-hyung will be busy and you always take 10 hours to text back yan

 

**Yawnni**  
do not

look I’m responding appropriately right now!

 

**Seoki**

only because you’re bored at the airport

 

**Yawnni**

well

ur not wrong

 

**Seoki**

anyways, all of you will be busy

so the only company I’ll have is that of hui and the devil’s spawn

 

**HuiHui**

I am offended

 

**Seoki**

you should be, you’re boring as hell

 

**Jini**

we should do something like the sisterhood of the traveling pants

 

**Yawnni**

…the wat?

 

**Jini**

the sisterhood of the traveling pants!

they were a group of friends who were spending a summer apart 

they found a magical pair of pants that fit them all even though they were different sizes

and they sent it to each other every week for the summer

or something like that not totally sure

I only watched the move once like 10 years ago

 

**Yawnni**

never heard of it

sounds stupid

 

**KiKi**

sounds neat!

 

**HuiHui**

I agree with ki

but we didn’t find a magical pair of pants before everyone left…

 

**Seoki**

plus anything that fit our resident lanky-ass giraffe

would hardly fit anybody else

 

**Jini**

are you mocking my height

 

**Seoki**

I literally said 'anybody else'

but if the shoe fits....

 

**KiKi**

hyungs please don't fight over clothes;;

 

**Yawni**

i thought it was 'friendly bickering'

 

**Kiki**

that was before hongseok-hyung brought up height

we all have different tastes in fashion anyways so pants wont work

but it would still be fun to have something to mail each other

even if we can't physically see each other, we'll still have something physical to represent our friendship

i like it

any ideas?

 

**Yawnni**

a dildo

 

**Seoki**

yan an no

 

**Yawnni**

what’s wrong with that?

 a dildo is better than pants by a longshot

 

**Seoki**

that’s how STDs are spread

 

**Yawnni**

ew I’m not suggesting we all use it what the fuck?

I just thought since we’re all big beautiful gays

a dildo is something we can bond over

 

**Jini**

stop, you’re scaring hui

 

**Yawnni**

whoops, my bad

*we’re all big beautiful gays and that one token straight guy with a gf

 

**HuiHui**

its fine

my presence has never stopped you guys before

 

**KiKi**

very true

 remember that rant we went on about lee jongsuk’s little eye mole?

Hui-hyung never said anything about it

 

**Jini**

because he was scared

 

**HuiHui**

stop, I wasn’t scared

I was respecting your right to thirst

and you guys shouldn’t be afraid or uncomfortable expressing your sexualities with me

this is a safe space

im not scared

 

**Jini**

sure

 

**HuiHui**

I was literally with jinho-hyung on the day he discovered exo

after that, I can go through anything

 

**Jini**

.....

touché

 

**Seoki**

damn, the man deserves a medal

we all know how much jinho-hyung loves chen’s voice

 

**Yawnni**

and chanyeol’s hands

 

**KiKi**

don’t forget lay’s thighs

 

**HuiHui**

have you heard his rant about xiumin’s abs??

I have

several times

 

**Jini**

ok, we get it

I like exo

but not as much as you all like asgard

 

**Seoki**

oh fuck yeah!

 

**KiKi**

omg im so excited for the concert!!

 

**Yawnni**

I think we all are

considering someone ‘accidentally’ bought 15 tickets

 

**HuiHui**

I’ve told you a million times I thought it said 5

and then I panicked because you guys were screaming that everything was sold out already

so I bought them

you guys should be grateful that ur going at all seeing as I’m the only one who got through to the website

and now I’m bankrupt

not really even joking about that, those tickets were expensive

 

**KiKi**

ur right

thanks a bunch, hyung!!!

 

**HuiHui**

you’re welcome

also, you’re my favorite

 

**KiKi**

yay!

 

**Seoki**

rude

hyunggu is MY favorite

 

**Yawnni**

don’t u guys thinks its weird that we fight over who gets hyunggu as a favorite

instead of arguing who gets to BE the favorite?

 

**Seoki**

that would work in conventional friendships

but i'm pretty sure the only one any of us really likes is hyunggu

 

**Yawnni**

hmmm

fair point

but how about choosing another favorite?

what about me?

I’m delightful

 

**Seoki**

actually, you’re kind of just a pain in the ass

 

**Yawnni**

…

 

**Seoki**

but a pain in the ass that I love nonetheless

 

**HuiHui**

yan an, you’re my second favorite

 

**Yawnni**

…

 

**HuiHui**

and hongseok is my least favorite

 

**Yawnni**

…

ok, I’ll take it

 

**Seoki**

fuck you, hui

 

**HuiHui**

ya

you still want to see asgard?

 

**Seoki**

*fuck you, hui-hyung

 

**HuiHui**

love you too, my least favorite

 

**Jini**

actually hui I just thought of a friend who could probably take some of those tickets off of your hands

 

**HuiHui**

as long as they pay its fine

 

**Jini**

ok I’ll ask him

 

**KiKi**

guys they just called my flight

T_T

 

**HuiHui**

have a safe trip ki!

see you in September!!

 

**Seoki**

text us when you get to Nagoya <33

 

**Yawnni**

im turning my phone off to save battery

this group of high schooolers is hogging all the outlets and im at 10%

 

**Jini**

have a safe flight yan an and text us too when you get to shanghai

 

**KiKi**

bye hyungs!!!

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: jolie (jinho, hui)**

**May 31, 3:36 pm**

 

**hui**

hyung

im not scared

ive told you before, you guys don't have to hide anything from me

or think that i would judge you or something, because i won't

especially when you're just being yourselves

 

**jinho**

I was just joking hui

I know you don't get uncomfortable about that stuff

but after what you said 

don't you think you could be scared about something else???

 

**hui**

idk what ur talking about

 

**jinho**

hwitaek

 

**hui**

i was drunk

i don't know what i was saying

 

**jinho**

you were sober, don't try to deny it

its okay

there's nothing wrong with being attracted to guys

 

**hui**

but i'm not!

at least i don't think so

and i'm with hyuna anyways

 

**jinho**

and you think guys in relationships

can't have a sexuality crisis?

 

**hui**

is that what im having?

i just said that guy was cute

i think a lot of people are cute

 

**jinho**

ok, i think some girls are cute

but i don't check them out the way you checked out that guy

 

**hui**

i checked him out?

 

**jinho**

there was some prolonged staring

especially the gluteus maximus area

and the thighs

you have good taste

 

**hui**

fuck

i

i'm not

 

**jinho**

relax hui

please don't freak out, its really ok

 

**hui**

but it doesn't matter anyways

i'm with hyuna

just because i thought one guy was cute

it doesnt mean anything

 

**jinho**

i'm not going to fight you on this

but keeping these kinds of things in isn't healthy

you can talk to me about it if you want

 

**hui**

its ok

i'm not freaking out

it doesnt mean anything

im fine

im healthy

 

**jinho**

hwitaek

 

 

**hui**

hhhhhhhhh

i'm gonna go clean out my garage

and not think about boys

i'm fine hyung, really

 

**jinho**

you still sound freaked out

take a deep breath

listen, i'm going to give you a number

its one of my friends

he's a lot better at talking about this stuff than i am

 

**hui**

i don't want to talk to anyone about it

i don't have anything to talk about

i'm fine

i'm attracted to women

 

**jinho**

just humor me please?

let me give you the number

then you can do whatever you want with it

its up to you if you want to talk to him or not

 

**hui**

.......

ok

 

**jinho**

good

now i have to go, my auditions start soon

 

**hui**

break a leg hyung

 

**jinho**

thanks hui

and please don't freak out about what i said

just calm down, think about it

okay?

have fun cleaning out your garage or whatever 

**hui**

ok

ok

ill try

 

 

☆彡

 

  

**Group Chat: PentaGONE (Jini, HuiHui, Seoki, Yawnni, KiKi)**

**May 31, 10:05 pm**

 

 

**HuiHui**

so i spent the afternoon cleaning out my garage and

I just found something that might be better than pants

**Seoki**

what on earth are you talking about?

**HuiHui**

for our sisterhood summer thing

**Jini**

what is it?

**HuiHui**

it’s a surprise

I’ll just send it to you

**Seoki**

send it to hyunggu first

our baby will be feeling lonely

**HuiHui**

ok!

I have to go work now :/

talk to you guys later

**Seoki**

wish me luck

I'm omw to the airport now

**Jini**

have a good flight hongseok

and good luck with your devil spawn

 

**Seoki**

thanks

ill need it

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

**Private Chat: Do Not Answer (Jinho, idiot)**

**June 1, 12:08 pm**

 

**Jinho**

ok idiot

i need your help

 

**idiot**

my time has come

 

**Jinho**

i need 2 things

 

**idiot**

ask and you shall receive sir

it will be my pleasure

or yours ;)

 

**Jinho**

ok scratch that 

i need 3 things

 

**idiot**

proceed

 

**Jinho**

first i need you to shut up

 

**idiot**

(´；ω；`)

 

**Jinho**

second i need you to take some concert tickets off my hands

 

**idiot**

may i speak

 

**Jinho**

if you have to

 

**idiot**

o(*>ω<*)o

how many tix, what for, how much?

 

**Jinho**

we have 10 extra for asgard on september 1

full price about 160,000 won each

 

**idiot**

hmmmm

asgard you say??

........

i'll take 5

 

**Jinho**

really?

 

**idiot**

i will surprise my children

and maybe then they will finally love me

 

**Jinho**

ok moving on

third, i may have accidentally freaked out my friend

who may or may not be having a sexuality crisis

 

**idiot**

oh my, another one?

 

**Jinho**

????

 

**idiot**

aren't all your friends gay?

 

**Jinho**

except this one

 

**idiot**

oh ok

what do you need me to do about it?

 

**Jinho**

i gave him your number

 

**idiot**

i don't want a boyfriend right now, thanks

 

**Jinho**

shut up

i forbid you from making a move on hui

plus he has a girlfriend

i just need you to walk him through the whole 'i might be gay/bi/pan/[insert sexuality here]' thing

IF AND ONLY IF he texts you first

 

**idiot**

ok i'll do it

i don't have anything better to do

and i'm an extremely kind soul 

but why can't you do it?

 

**Jinho**

I have enough shit to deal with

i'm doing shows all summer

 

**idiot**

congrats hyung

still don't know why you want me be on baby gay watch tho

 

**Jinho**

i don't think he wants our other friends to know

and you know what its like

plus i think he's in denial because he's been dating his gf since they were teenagers

hui can get kind of needy about his worries and i'm going to be busy

i love him, but this summer could really kickstart my career and i want to focus on my shows 

plus if you do this, i guess i'll kind of owe you a favor

 

**idiot**

sweet

 

**Jinho**

so you'll do it?

 

**idiot**

yea, think i already said that

i'm a kind soul, remember?

 

**Jinho**

and you won't creep him out or scare him or anything??

 

**idiot**

no promises lol

 

**Jinho**

oh my god he's going to hate me

thanks for doing this though

 

**idiot**

of course

 

**Jinho**

i guess i'll talk to you later

please don't make me regret this

oh and happy birthday

 

**idiot**

thanks hyung

means a lot

 

**Jinho**

shut up

are you doing something fun at least?

 

**idiot**

i'm just spending the day by myself

and my plants

with some vodka

just me with the vodka

i wouldn't feed vodka to my children

my plant children

my other children i would gladly give vodka

but only if they pay me back

 

**Jinho**

....nice

take care hyojong

 

**idiot**

will do

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**June 1, 4:20 pm**

**Wonton**

hey hyojong-hyung

**Ed**

ye?

**Wonton**

happy day of your birth

**Ed**

thank

**Not** **Yuto**

shit hyung I forgot

hbd tho

**Ed**

thanks for the love seokie

**Not** **Yuto**

anytime <3

**Wonton**

as a present, im giving you the best gift

**Ed**

?

**Wonton**

my absence

surprise! I’m leaving early for my modeling gig

to find a place to live bc apparently the dorms r all full

anyways, hope you like it

**Ed**

perfect just what i wanted

**Yuto**

me too, hyung

im gifting you with my absence

not the modeling thing

**Wonton**

hey you can’t steal my gift

and thanks for ur concern

not like I might be homeless in a foreign country for 2 months or anything

**Yuto**

too late, its already stolen

and I am concerned, im just not good at showing it

 

**yeoyo**

sorry about the dorm sitch

but

coincidentally

hyojong hyung

I am giving you the same gift

**Wonton**

oh shit did that exchange program work out?

**yeoyo**

one of the girls got crazy food poisoning and is in the hospital

so she can’t go

and instead of wasting money

our school was like

lets send changgu

we knew he wanted to go

but we initially thought he was too stupid to exist in another country

so im in an uber omw to the airport

speeding bc the flight leaves in an hour

I might die before I get there

**Yuto**

crazy story

**Not** **Yuto**

but congrats?

**yeoyo**

thanks?

I gave my driver a tip to speed things up

but he just blew thru like 3 stop signs

pray for me

**Not** **Yuto**

dear g-dragon

please don’t let my friend die on his way to the airport

he needs to prove he is not dumb enough to study in China

amen

**Wonton**

did you just pray to gd?

**Yuto**

he is the way

**Not** **Yuto**

the truth

 

**Yuto**

the life

**Wonton**

im scared

**yeoyo**

you’re scared?

we just went airborn over a motherfucking speedbump

im shaking

**Yuto**

don’t die hyung

we haven’t finished watching asoue

**yeoyo**

u might have to finish it without me

on this, the day of my death

**Not** **Yuto**

its poetic

the day hyojong was brought into the world

is the same day that changgu dies

**yeoyo**

how is that poetic???

**Not** **Yuto**

I wouldn’t expect you to understand

**Ed**

my children listen up

what about this year

instead of getting me shit

I get you shit

**Not** **Yuto**

I really hope you don’t mean actual shit

**Yuto**

wouldn’t put it past him

**Ed**

if youre good boys

uncle dawnie might give you a surprise at the end of the summer :)

**Wonton**

ok, its definitely shit

or something really sexual

is anyone else getting those vibes or is it just me?

**yeoyo**

please stop with the uncle dawnie thing

its creepy

**Ed**

careful boys

if you keep up this behavior

u might not get ur shit

**Yuto**

getting those vibes loud and clear shinwonie-hyung

and still unclear if it is actual shit

**Not** **Yuto**

hyung I’ll be over in 10 minutes

i have cupcakes and soju

**Wonton**

wait which hyung?

**Not** **Yuto**

you, hyung

I’ll be in LA in 10 minutes

**Wonton**

wait, really?

**yeoyo**

ffs he’s talking to hyojong-hyung

**Wonton**

well I don’t know!

wooseokie might have just acquired teleportation or something

**Not** **Yuto**

why would it take me 10 minutes to teleport?

and why would I go to hyojong-hyung if I could?

or bring him cupcakes??

**Yuto**

he would definitely go to Japan

to be with me and give me cupcakes

**Not** **Yuto**

never has there ever been a fact so true

**Yuto**

<3

**Not** **Yuto**

<3

**yeoyo**

hate to break up this love fest

but I have just arrived at the airport

and I am somehow alive

**Not** **Yuto**

so???

**yeoyo**

so goodbye

I am off to china

then I get to meet my host parents

prof lee just told me theyre still expecting a female student

so that should be fun

**Wonton**

good luck

hopefully you won’t disappoint these ones

**yeoyo**

fuck you

**Yuto**

my roommate should be here soon

I should probably clean

**Ed**

if you do your chores

uncle dawnie will give you a kiss

**Yuto**

no thank you

**Ed**

:*

**Yuto**

I think I just vomited

**Ed**

:********

**Yuto**

STOP

**Not** **Yuto**

hyung im here open ur dooooooor

**Ed**

omw seokie-poo

**Yuto**

thank god for seokie-poo

**Ed**

aw, I still love you yuyu

**Not** **Yuto**

HEY

only I can call him yuyu

**Ed**

jeez ok

**Yuto**

again

thank god for seokie-poo

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason I'm really nervous writing for Pentagon but I thought of this idea a while ago and my brain made me write it. Let me know what you think or if there's any confusion/things I can fix!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No texting in this chapter, just a confused Shinwon.

 

“I’m sorry Mr. Ko. Our records show your contract with us was terminated on May 25. We no longer need your services this summer.”

 

Shinwon had wanted to be a model. It’s something he’s wanted to do for a while, since he was in high school and someone once told him he had the bone structure for it. So he’d pursued it for a while, gotten an agent done a couple shoots for clothing catalogs and one failed CF before he realized he might want to go into something with a little more job security. But after a couple of semesters as an economics major, Shinwon found himself missing posing for pictures and gliding down the catwalk.

 

So he had taken a semester off to seriously pursue modeling. He’d gotten another agent, done a few more shoots for more catalogs and even more prestigious magazines. Then he’d gotten wind of a job overseas. They needed models in America, to spend an entire summer shooting a series for a fashion magazine with an opportunity to walk for a show at the end. It was too good to pass up, so Shinwon had applied. Three weeks later, he got a call saying he was accepted and expected to be in LA on June 4.

 

He’d gotten the call and he’d gotten accepted. He would be set for the summer and maybe even get scouted by an American agency and live in LA or New York for the rest of his life as a famous and respected model from meager beginnings who had wowed the world with his looks and talent.

 

He’d gotten the call. He’d gotten accepted.

 

So why is he getting turned away?

 

Shinwon’s ears are ringing, playing the same sentences over and over and over. _We no longer need your services this summer_.

 

This can’t be happening. This is some kind of joke, right? Hyojong or Wooseok or somebody called in and told them to say that just to mess with him on his first day, right?

 

Because Shinwon had been looking forward to this job in LA for the past six months, had spent just as long bragging to anyone who would listen about how he was cast for a back-to-back shoots and a show and maybe more as a model in America. A model. In America. This is big for someone like Shinwon, who’s own modeling experience is sorely lacking. But somebody at that company in LA thought he had a good face and had decided to hire him. This was going to be his big break, his chance to show everyone that he is good enough to be a model, he is talented enough to do it all.

_We no longer need your services this summer._

 

Shinwon had just found a crappy apartment only a short walk away from the agency to live in for the next two months. He has to share it with four other models, but it is still a place he could go to after a long day of work. He had put down a huge non-refundable deposit as well as the first three weeks’ rent to be able to hold his place because it is so last minute.

 

His space in the dorms probably hadn't been saved because his contract had somehow already been terminated by then. 

_We no longer need your services this summer._

 

After staring blankly at the receptionist for probably way longer than necessary, a million questions bubbling up in his brain that he doesn't quite know how to ask in English, Shinwon’s legs start working without his brain’s permission. They walk without knowing where to go because Shinwon has been in the area for less than a week and only knows how to get to his apartment, the convenience store, and the agency. But his legs walk while his brain lags behind and Shinwon doesn’t realize he’s even left the agency lobby until he’s staring at water. A lot of water, actually. It’s a beach.

 

As a rule, Shinwon isn’t really a beach sort of person. He doesn’t really care for the sand and the sun, and if he’s being honest the ocean is really big and kind of terrifying. He likes mountains and hiking, lazy rivers, the shade of trees. Shinwon supposes if his brain had actually been in contact with his feet, he would have stayed inland, away from the beach and the hordes of people trying to enjoy themselves in the sun and heat. As it is, Shinwon’s brain is still partially offline, repeating those foreign words so often that they start sounding even more like gibberish than they already do. His feet carry him forward, weaving through the throngs of beach-goers, dodging kids’ sandcastles with more dexterity than he thought he had. His feet carry him forward until he’s at the water’s edge, waves nipping at his toes where they peek out of his sandals. The sandals he bought specifically for this job to go with his new pants and his new shirt.

 

_We no longer need your services this summer._

 

What the fuck is he going to do now?

 

This was all too good to be true. Of course Shinwon would somehow mess everything up without even realizing it.

 

Shinwon takes a deep breath and tries to clear his head, thinking maybe the smell of saltwater and the heat from the sun will kickstart a rational thinking process. It does a little bit. He could call his agent, he thinks and he blinks up at the sun, try to figure out what happened and get him re-hired. Another wave comes in, carrying with it the delighted scream of a delighted child nearby and the creeping doubt that this won't get fixed. He's a model in LA, one of hundreds of thousands of people with the same dreams and hopes that he has with much more impressive résumés. He's just one of the many who tried to enter a cutthroat industry and just ended up getting tossed around and spit out.

 

Shinwon takes a deep breath of saltwater air and takes a step forward.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

♥♥Summer 20XX Playlist♥♥

 1. [Goodbye (2NE1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w)..................3:51 

2\. [봄날 Spring Day (BTS)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8)..........4:34

3\. [Where You At (NU’EST W)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8-4mBiCSI)....3:10

 

☆彡

 

_To My Favorite Dongsaeng Hyunggu,_

_Hello. I haven't ever written a paper letter before but I found some old stationary of my grandma's and I got too excited and had to use it. I'm sending you, at the request of our dear friend Hongseok, our own special version of pants. As you can see, this is an old iPod I found while cleaning out my garage. The music on it was garbage, much like most of the shit I found in said garage, so I deleted it all and downloaded some new tunes for you to listen to in Japan. I hope you enjoy this short playlist I compiled of songs to get us all through the summer. I chose k-pop to remind you of home, just in case you get too comfortable in Nagoya and don’t want to come home and I think that the songs do a good job of explaining my feelings about you being away for three whole months. Mostly sad feelings about saying goodbye and missing you, if you don't get it. But don’t miss me too much, I want you to focus on dancing and get to be the best you can be. Please add some songs and then send it to whoever you want. Remember to eat all of your meals and try to make some new friends! Who knows, you might even meet a cute Japanese boy to duet with. Fighting!_

_Love from your favorite hyung,_

_Lee Hwitaek_


	5. Chapter 5

 

**Private Chat: jolie (jinho, hui)**

**June 9, 7:39 pm**

**hui**

hyung

hyung

hyung

its happening hyung

hyung?

 

**jinho**

lee hwitaek I swear to god

 

**hui**

hyung help

 

**jinho**

is this an actual emergency

 

**hui**

define emergency

 

**jinho**

are you dead/dying?

 

**hui**

no

 

**jinho**

is hyuna pregnant?

 

**hui**

what? no

 

**jinho**

then stop texting

im at rehearsal

 

**hui**

hyuuuuung  nooooooo

its an emergency!

im having thoughts

of the maybe not very straight variety

 

**jinho**

hui, I love you

but I told you before I might not be able to help you with this stuff

that’s why I gave you hyojong’s number

 

**hui**

but hyung

 

**jinho**

im serious

I have 3 minutes left of break then I’ll be busy

opening night is next weekend and we’re still blocking

the finale hasn’t even been choreographed yet and we start tech rehearsals tomorrow

I am up to my eyeballs in work

so if you need someone to talk to, which I think you do,

and you don’t want to talk to any of our other gay friends

text hyojong

 

**hui**

but what if he’s mean?

 

**jinho**

he won’t be mean

probably weird

but not mean

at least intentionally

 

**hui**

hhhhhhhhhhh

ggggggggggggggggg

yyyyyyyyy

 

**jinho**

calm down hui please

just give it a try?

 

**hui**

fffffffok

 

**jinho**

I have to go, break’s over

 

**hui**

ok hyung

 

**jinho**

you can do it, hui

I believe in you

 

**hui**

well at least someone does

have fun at rehearsals

 

**jinho**

have fun discovering your sexuality

 

 

☆彡

 

**Group Chat: PentaGONE (Jini, Huihui, Seoki, Yawnni, Kiki)**

**June 9, 8:15 pm**

**HuiHui**

alright boys

its been a few days since last contact

where is everyone?

are you all alive?

do I need to get new friends??

 

**Kiki**

don’t worry hyung, I’m here!!

I just got done with practice

**Jini**

lee hwitaek

stop procrastinating

and do the thing I told you to do

 

**Kiki**

uh oh

you made jinho-hyung mad

 

**Jini**

not mad

just annoyed

 

**HuiHui**

same thing, really

hyung I thought you had rehearsal

work up to your eyeballs

 

**Jini**

I do

but I always have time for hyunggu

now stop procrastinating hui

 

**HuiHui**

stop pressuring me hyung

 

**Jini**

I’m only pressuring you because you’re being stubborn

 

**KiKi**

I am confused?

 

**HuiHui**

its nothing

don’t worry about it

how’s the workshop, ki?

 

**KiKi**

its great!

i met a lot of cool people

and the instructors are really nice too

oh I also really liked the gift you sent me hyung!!

 

**HuiHui**

yay!

don’t tell the others yet though

i want it to be a surprise

 

**KiKi**

ok hyung!

 

**Jini**

sounds like you’re having a great time hyunggu!

but hwitaek

 

**HuiHui**

oh my god hyung

im doing it!

 

**Jini**

ok

I’ll know if you don’t really do it though

 

**KiKi**

this sounds creepy

whatever it is

 

**Jini**

hui just owes me a favor and doesn’t want to do it

 

**KiKi**

you should do it if you owe him, hui-hyung

 

**HuiHui**

yeah yeah

im working on it

 

**Jini**

I thought there was an emergency though?

 

**KiKi**

emergency???? are u ok?

 

**HuiHui**

its just a little one

im ok now I think

 

**Jini**

hui

 

**HuiHui**

yeah, im on it

 

 

 

☆彡

****

****

**_Lee Hwitaek created an untitled private chat_ **

**_Lee Hwitaek added Unknown to the chat_ **

**June 9, 10:41 pm**

 

**_Lee Hwitaek changed their nickname to Hui_ **

 

 

**Hui**

is this hyojong?

 

**Unknown**

whos asking?

 

**Hui**

 you can call me hui, I’m a friend of jinho’s

 

**Unknown**

the kid who’s having a sexuality crisis?

 

**Hui**

 uh

I guess?

 

**Unknown**  

you guess?

I mean its pretty easy to tell

our society has pretty clear views about it

 

**Hui**

then yeah, I am

 

**Unknown**

talk to me, you ugly duckling

uncle dawnie can help you turn into a beautiful gay swan

 

**_Unknown changed Hui’s nickname to ugly duckling (•ө•)_ **

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

ok 1

 uncle dawnie? Jinho-hyung told me your name was hyojong?

and 2

I’m not gay

 

**Unknown**

my friends call me dawn

and jinho said you like dick?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

wtf kind of name is dawn?

and idk if I like dick or not

 

**Unknown**

it’s a good name, very beautiful like me

and no straight dude would question if he likes dick so…

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

but I’m not gay

 

**Unknown**

then how would you describe it?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

idk that’s kind of what I’m here for

 

**Unknown**

well what made you text me?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

mostly jinho-hyung was busy

and made me message you on pain of death

and

uh

i was out grocery shopping

and i saw this guy

 

**Unknown**

ooooh a guy

describe him

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

tall, black hair

 

**Unknown**

that's it?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

he looked good?

 

**Unknown**

like good enough to eat?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i'm not a cannibal

 but i guess he had a nice figure

and a symmetrical face

 

**Unknown**

did you want to kiss him?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

 i don't even know him

 

**Unknown**

but what if he kissed you

would you be into it?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

maybe?

his lips were

also symmetrical

 

**Unknwon**

i dunno, that sounds pretty gay to me

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

but i'm not gay

 

**Unknown**

so you say

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

well what are you?

 

**Unknown**

a unicorn

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

what?

 

**Unknown**

what do you mean, what am i?

I’m a human

I’m a lot of things

an enigma

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

I mean your sexuality

 

**Unknown**

rude

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

oh sorry

I didn’t mean it like that

 

**Unknown**

like what?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

I don’t know, like disrespectfully?

 

**Unknown**

lol

don’t worry I’m just pulling your dick

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

please don’t do that

 

**Unknown**

what do you mean, you don’t like that? ;;;)

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

you know what

just forget I ever texted you

 

**Unknown**

kk, bye little duckling

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: jolie (jinho, hui)**

**June 9, 11:32 pm**

**hui**

i hate you

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love! Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

 

Yan An has been in Shanghai for a few days and he has already attracted a Korean. Seriously. It’s like a scene straight out of one of Hyunggu’s dramas, where the Korean boy and the Korean girl go to America, one of the largest countries on the planet, and magically find each other because they were miraculously out for a late night walk at the exact same time in the exact same city.

 

“Koreans always find each other,” Hyunggu had whispered through his tears as the Korean couple reunited in the middle of the American street.

 

Yan An guesses its true, though Yan An himself is not Korean. But maybe by now, after studying there for the past few years, he gets a special card that grants him Korean citizenship only in these kinds of situations.

 

And the situation is this: Yan An is currently the only one manning his uncle’s small convenience store where he’s being forced to help out at for his entire summer break, when a boy comes up to the counter with a map in hand, asking for directions to _Wàitān_  in broken Mandarin and a very thick accent.

 

The kid is around Yan An’s age and definitely Korean. Something about him screams it and Yan An can tell. If he couldn’t tell by the accent (which he’s very familiar with because he’s spent two years listening to Jinho and Hongseok’s stilted Mandarin), or the shoes (spending two years in Seoul  has acquainted Yan An with contemporary Korean fashion and those are definitely Korean shoes), he could definitely tell by the Seoul University sweatshirt the kid is wearing.

 

Because of course, this random tourist kid has the same sweatshirt as the one that’s stuck at the bottom of Yan An’s suitcase. Because of course, the university that the kid’s sweatshirt boasts is the same one that Yan An has attended for the past two years. Hopefully this kid doesn’t actually attend the same university because that would be one scary coincidence.

 

_Koreans always find each other_ , the Hyunggu in his head tells him.

 

_Well guess what, bitch, I’m not Korean._

 

Maybe under normal circumstances, Yan An might have felt pity for the boy who’s clearly out of his depth in a place he doesn’t know very well. He might have been reminded of his Korean friends, or even himself when he first went to Korea, and decided to help the boy find wherever he’s looking for.

 

But Yan An is bored, has been standing alone in this dumb convenience store since 8 in the morning, and he’s cranky and doesn’t want to help this tourist with directions to one of the most touristy places in Shanghai. Ever since 8, he’s had to deal with rude people buying shit, all on an empty stomach because his stupid cousin didn’t wake him up in time for breakfast. So when this Korean kid shows up, looking frazzled and a little lost, Yan An does not have the sympathy nor the energy to try to communicate with him. Special Korean citizenship card be damned.

 

“Do you know how to get to _Wàitān_?” the kid asks for the fifth time, this time pointing to his map, as if Yan An doesn’t already know what he’s talking about. He just pretends that he doesn’t understand because it’s fun to toy with tourists, especially when they don’t give up and keep trying to ask for directions like this one.

 

Yan An does what he eventually does with all tourists and gives him directions in rapid fire Mandarin. What a joy it is to see the terrified look the kid gives him.

 

“Do you speak English?” the kid asks slowly.

 

“No, of course I don’t speak English, I only speak Mandarin and Portuguese, and sometimes Martian if I’m feeling like it,” Yan An answers quickly, still in Mandarin.

 

Judging from the kid’s blank expression, he doesn’t understand a word that just came from Yan An’s mouth. Yan An tries not to grin as he takes in the kid’s pout.

 

“Korean?” the kid asks hopefully.

 

Ha. He knew the kid was Korean.

 

Yan An doesn’t even hesitate. “Nope.”

 

The kid deflates in front of him. Apparently feeling bad for taking up Yan An’s time, he buys an overpriced bottle of water from the cooler and mumbles out a “thank you for your help” before leaving.

 

It’s the small things, Yan An realizes after the kid leaves, that truly make life enjoyable. Like terrifying tourists and pretending he doesn’t speak Korean.

 

Maybe, just maybe, this summer won’t be so bad.

 

 

☆彡

 

 

It’s been more than a week and Shinwon still feels like shit.

 

After a few hours of staring at the ocean and getting more and more sunburned, Shinwon had made a decision. He couldn’t stay in LA, not when he was that close to something he wanted so much. It hurt and Shinwon was ashamed. He couldn’t stay in LA, especially not after he had called his agent and his agent said he couldn’t do anything. There was an error, he had said, and they hired too many models. They hired too many people and decided that Shinwon was one of the ones they didn’t need.

 

So Shinwon had made a decision and he had decided to leave LA. He packed up his small amount of belongings and explained that he would be leaving to the roommates whose names he couldn’t even remember.

 

A few hours later, he is back in Korea, feeling like shit because it was a little more than a week and Shinwon had already failed. 

 

“Hey hyung?” a voice calls Shinwon from his thoughts.

 

Wooseok’s head pops out from behind the door, large eyes fixed on Shinwon in curiosity. Shinwon sits up on the bed he’s been laying on for the past who-knows-how-long and nods.

 

“Do you want regular or spicy chicken?” Wooseok asks.

 

“Whatever you want is fine,” Shinwon mumbles back.

 

Woosoek hums in thought. “Is spicy okay?”

 

He nods and Wooseok gives him a small smile.

 

“Thirty minutes, hyung.”

 

Shinwon sighs and flops back onto the pillows, rethinking every decision he’s made over the past few days.

 

After leaving LA, he could have gone home, explained to his parents that his plans fell through in America. Even the thought of doing that now leaves a bitter taste in Shinwon’s mouth. His parents aren’t too strict with him, never raised their expectations too high, but he still feels awful whenever he disappoints them. And he’d been doing that a lot recently, it seems. So Shinwon couldn’t do that.

 

That left him with two other options, his only two friends left in the city. Hyojong might seem like the best choice. He lives in his own apartment on edge of the city and his couch is one of the most surfed by their immediate friend group. But Hyojong likes to pry and he likes to push and if he had gone to Hyojong he probably would have made Shinwon start again or apply to another modeling job instead of giving up like he currently feels like doing.

 

So Shinwon turns to his other friend, Wooseok. Wooseok is young and still lives in the basement of his parents’ house. He has a part-time job and attends university part-time and plays video games in his basement the rest of the time. Wooseok doesn’t pry or ask questions and Wooseok is younger, so he knows that he can’t push Shinwon unless he wants his ass kicked.

 

Wooseok is annoying and tall, but he’s surprisingly patient and kind when he wants to be. Wooseok lets him wallow in his own bed while he’s at work and even when he’s not. Wooseok orders him chicken and lets him just be. He’s always had a soft spot for Wooseok, the youngest of their weird little group of friends if only by a few days, and he suspects that Wooseok has a soft spot for him, too. Because when Shinwon shows up at Wooseok’s door in the middle of the night, he takes the duffle bag out of Shinwon’s hands and asks him how long he’s staying.

 

Wooseok comes back in the room thirty minutes later as promised with two bags filled with spicy chicken and whatever else he had bought on his journey. They eat on the floor in front of the TV because Wooseok doesn’t have a couch.

 

“When are you gonna tell the others, hyung?” Wooseok asks. This is the first question he’s gotten from Wooseok since he’d arrived, other than questions about chicken orders of course.

 

Wooseok doesn’t ask, but Shinwon tells him the whole story anyways. He does that a lot, just tells Wooseok everything because he’s actually a pretty good listener even if he is so tall and annoying. He tells Wooseok how stupid he is for believing he’d make it big in America and how dumb he feels that he can’t even bring himself to tell anyone else about it. Wooseok listens and tells him its okay, even when Shinwon doesn’t think it is.

 

Shinwon sighs and turns and looks carefully at his youngest friend. He has sauce on his lips and a little bit on his cheek. He barely restrains himself from wiping it off.

 

He shrugs instead. “Let’s just keep my return to the motherland to ourselves for now, okay?”

 

The look Wooseok gives him is quiet but imploring. It makes Shinwon squirm and look away. Eventually, Wooseok shrugs too and knocks his shoulder into Shinwon’s for good measure.

 

“It’s okay, hyung.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know very little about Shanghai, so sorry if that shows. Thanks for all the kudos, let me know if there's anything I can fix!


	7. Chapter 7

 

♥♥Summer 20XX Playlist♥♥

 

1.[Goodbye (2NE1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w).................................3:51

2. [봄날 Spring Day (BTS)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8)........................4:34

3. [Where You At (NU’EST W)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8-4mBiCSI)..................3:10

4\. [I'll Be Alright/Tonight (Mura Masa)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2EuGFi2bo)....3:50

5\. [Paris, Tokyo (Lupe Fiasco)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2uqGLNm5k).................4:30

6\. [The Universe (Nomak)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAKPHScin0).......................5:28

 

 

☆彡

 

 

_Jinho-hyung,_

_When Hui-hyung sent me his old iPod he included a nice handwritten letter, so I figured I would continue the tradition and send you one too. I just wanted to say congratulations on getting the lead in one of your shows; I knew you could do it! I’m really excited that you finally get the chance to prove how good you are to your directors even though I won’t be able to see it. If you’re nervous (which I know you’re not because you’re going to be amazing!!!) give this playlist a listen! I added some songs to the ones that Hui-hyung downloaded, mostly some calming stuff I’ve been listening to lately after workshops to cool down or when I’m exploring Japan! Actually, a few of us are taking a trip to Tokyo next weekend and I’m really excited to bond with my other dancer friends. They’re all really nice and have a lot of different styles and experiences to add because they’re from all over the world. There are a few people from Korea that I get along with, and there’s also dancers from America, Canada, all over Europe, Russia, even Brazil! My roommate hangs out with a lot of the Japanese dancers, so I know a lot of them really well too. One of my new friends even suggested a song to add to our playlist! None of them will ever replace you, so don’t worry! I can’t wait to see you and hear all about your performances. Jinho-hyung fighting!!_

_Lots of love,_

_Hyunggu_

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be updated frequently but things in my life never seem to go to plan, so please bear with me if updates are slower in the future :)

 

**Group Chat: PentaGONE (Jini, HuiHui, Seoki, Yawnni, KiKi)**

**June 15, 1:22 am**

**Seoki**

just in case anyone was worrying

I am alive

 

**Yawnni**

we weren’t

**KiKi**

speak for yourself!

I miss you so much hyung!!!

 

**Jini**

haven’t heard from you in a while hongseok

how is LA?

 

**Yawnni**

wow jinho-hyung what are you doing awake at this hour?

aren’t you tired from practice???

 

**Jini**

I have a day off

 

**Yawnni**

sure

**Seoki**

LA is good, thanks for asking

very sunny

the devil spawn are living up to the title

 

**KiKi**

I’m sure they aren’t that bad???

 

**Seoki**

no, they’re pretty bad

they’re angels in the morning

like really sweet and loving and adorable

and as soon as their parents leave for work

its like they flip a switch and turn into demons

high energy demons that jump off of couches

and make actual glitter bombs

there is so much glitter in the carpet right now

which I have to clean up before we go to the beach

 

**KiKi**

the beach sounds exciting!

 

**Seoki**

it would be more exciting if I didn’t have to keep track of 3 demon children

 

**Jini**

do they all know how to swim?

make sure they wear floaties

and use plenty of sunscreen

 

**Seoki**

relax hyung i know what i'm doing

believe me

they’re going to hate me more than they already do after this

with how many floaties I’m going to make them wear

they won’t even be able to get their hair wet

if I can’t have fun, then no one can

that’s my motto for the summer

 

**Yawnni**

its like your own form of revenge

aggressive caregiving

I like it

 

**Seoki**

thanks

anyways

how is everyone else doing?

 

**KiKi**

really good!

I’m traveling with some of my friends during our break coming up

I really want to see a volcano but it might rain :((

 

**Jini**

rehearsals are going well

we actually have a good cast

so hopefully it won’t suck

 

**Yawnni**

I think I have a stalker

 

**KiKi**

wait, really?

 

**Yawnni**

yes

 

**Seoki**

uh

care to elaborate?

 

**Yawnni**

so you know how I’m working at my uncle’s convenience store?

 

**Jini**

yes

wait are you actually in any danger?

 

**Yawnni**

cannot yet be determined

 

**Seoki**

what do you mean?

 

**Yawnni**

ok so one day I’m working at the store

and this tourist kid comes in

pretty normal

asks for directions and buys something

BUT he has a seoul u sweatshirt on

 

**Jini**

so? a lot of kids go to your school?

 

**Yawnni**

but how many kids that go to seoul u

spend the summer in shanghai?

except me of course

 

**KiKi**

I think we have a sister university there hyung

 

**Yawnni**

what the fuck is that?

 

**KiKi**

a sister university?

its like 2 schools that have partnerships and do special activities for the students of the both schools

it especially makes it easier for international students and stuff

I think I have a friend who was going to our sister school in shanghai for classes this summer

but she got food poisoning and couldn’t make the trip :/

 

**Yawnni**

how didn’t I know about that?

 

**Seoki**

no offence

but you don’t know about a lot of things yan an

 

**Yawnni**

likewise

hyung

 

**Seoki**

what are you even trying to say right now?

 

**Yawnni**

you know....hyung........

 

**Jini**

hmmm

can we get back to the stalker thing?

 

**Yawnni**

so this Korean kid is in my store

I only remember him because of the sweatshirt

he’s actually very plain otherwise

BUT

I see him a few days later

in my store

in the same sweatshirt

how stalkery is that??

 

**Seoki**

I’m not following

 

**Jini**

nice stalker pun

 

**Seoki**

thanks

though in that case, I’m like an anti stalker

cuz I don’t follow

 

**Yawwni**

I’m being serious you fucks

I keep seeing him!

the sweatshirt kid is everywhere!

in my store

in the plaza outside my store

he’s stalking me

 

**Jini**

it kind of sounds like he just likes the area

like he found his way to your store

and then kept coming back because he knew where it was

I have a bakery I go to every morning here in Busan

it helps because its one comforting thing about being in a strange city

 

**Yawnni**

but why would he go to my store

at least 4 different times in the last week

if he wasn’t stalking me??

 

**KiKi**

I agree with jinho-hyung

I think he’s just making a nice routine for himself

and you just happen to be in the same store

 

**Yawnni**

whatever

he’s stalking me

I’ll prove it

 

**Jini**

how?

 

**Yawnni**

I don’t know

 

**Seoki**

well good luck with your stalker yan an

I’ll keep you all updated about my nanny adventures  

**KiKi**

send us cute pictures!

 

**Jini**

let us know if the sweatshirt kid does anything weird or dangerous

 

**Yawnni**

ok

and full offence

but what are you gonna do if something happens?

you’re tiny and not very ferocious

though maybe you could sing a high note so high it could knock him out

 

**Jini**

yan, this is why you’re nobody's favorite

and I have friends in lots of places

just ask hui

 

**Yawnni**

the fuck is that supposed to mean?

 

**Jini**

nothing

 

**Seoki**

or it means we should just ask hui-hyung

if he knows any of jinho-hyung’s creepy friends

 

**Jini**

I would defend them

but it’s too accurate

 

**KiKi**

just when i thought jinho-hyung was the only sane one....

 

 

 

☆彡

 

**Private Chat: milky boys (woo, yu)**

**June 15, 7:42 pm**

**woo**

yuyu

I miss you

 

**yu**

miss you too

seokie-poo

 

**woo**

how’s it going in japan?

 

**yu**

good

its good

really good

 

**woo**

no its not

somethings wrong

what’s wrong?

 

**yu**

nothing

 

**woo**

yuto

I know you like the palm of my hand

 

**yu**

I don’t think that’s the saying

 

**woo**

you are my other half

the pb to my j

the bibim to by bap

 

**yu**

no one says that

 

**woo**

I know when something is wrong

 

**yu**

nothing is wrong

 

**woo**

omg someone is bullying you

who is it

I’m buying a plane ticket as we speak

wait I don’t have any money

how far is the swim from south korea to japan?

 

**yu**

wooseok please calm down

I’m fine don’t worry

no one is bullying me

everyone is actually really nice

 

**woo**

are you sure??

I’m sure I could get hyojong-hyung or shinwon-hyung to loan me money for a ticket

 

**yu**

I’m sure

plus I wouldn’t want to worry shinwon-hyung when he’s all the way in LA

 

**woo**

oh yeah

I guess you’re right

 

**yu**

have you heard much from shinwon-hyung?

its been a couple of days, I wonder if he’s ok

 

**woo**

I’m sure he’s fine

but we’re getting off topic

whats going on with you??

 

**yu**

its really nothing

its fine

 

**woo**

oh my god

 

**yu**

what?

 

**woo**

there’s a cute guy isn’t there?

 

**yu**

what?

why do you say that?

 

**woo**

oh wow

he must be really cute

 

**yu**

what are you even talking about?

 

**woo**

damn

this must be serious

yuyu, do you have a…

crush?

 

**yu**

if I keep denying it

will you believe me?

 

**woo**

no

 

**yu**

well fuck

ok

there’s a boy

though 'crush' might be a little strong

 

**woo**

yuto you sly dog

fuck indeed

wait

did you already fuck?

 

**yu**

no

 

**woo**

you didn’t even talk to him, did you?

 

**yu**

that’s not true

I talked to him today

 

**woo**

an actual conversation?

 

**yu**

he said hey

and I said hey back

 

**woo**

*gasp*

you’re practically married already

 

**yu**

its nothing really

he’s just cute

and he dances really well too

he would never go for a mediocre person like me

 

**woo**

yuto I am surprised

that is not how a milky boy talks

 

**yu**

but you say shit like that all the time

 

**woo**

not true

at least not anymore!

this chat shall henceforth be positive and uplifting

no more mediocre talk

yuto, you are a fine piece of Japanese ass

worthy of anyone who crosses your path

because you are smart and kind

and though you might seem scary and serious at first glance

you are a big marshmallow full of love

and other sugary goodness

 

**yu**

I thought you were going for a rhyme at first

like I'm actually kind of disappointed at you

did hyojong-hyung steal your phone?

this isn't like you

 

**woo**

no

what’s wrong with trying to be optimistic about life?

  

**yu**

nothing

that’s just not how you are

are you ok?

 

**woo**

I’m turning over a new branch

 

**yu**

I’m pretty sure its leaf

 

**woo**

whatever

some recent events have made me see things in a new light

life is short and sometimes things don’t go the way you want

but you can’t let that stuff get you down

you have to push forward

and you have some of the best friends in the world

to help you get back on your feet

if you would just open your eyes and see it

so

anyways

point is

you adatchi yuto

are anything but mediocre

 

**yu**

uh

ok

something weird is happening with you

but I’ll let it pass for now

 

**woo**

thanks

I can probably tell you about it soon

I just can’t right now

its.....I don’t really know

anyways

 if you want that boy

I say go get him

 

**yu**

woah

who said I wanted him?

he’s cute

but I’m pretty sure I’ll never see him again after this workshop

 

**woo**

why?

 

**yu**

that’s just how things are

 

**woo**

but it doesn’t have to be

 

**yu**

I’ll go back to south korea after the workshop

and he’ll go back to his home

and we’ll never see each other again

simple

 

**woo**

where is the guy from?

 

**yu**

doesn’t matter

we won’t see each other after this summer

 

**woo**

......

he’s Korean

 

**yu**

no

 

**woo**

he is

he’s Korean and you’re scared because it could totally work

why are you scared?

 

**yu**

I’m not scared

it just

hasn’t been that long

 

**woo**

yuto its been 4 months

 

**yu**

so?

I’m not ready for another relationship yet

 

**woo**

you’re not still in love with that asshat, are you?

 

**yu**

no its not that

just

he’s really nice

like perfect boyfriend material if I was looking for that right now

but I thought he was really nice too

 

**woo**

look

I’m not saying that this guy is different, because maybe he’s not

but its been 4 months since that asshole cheated on you

and I think you deserve to be happy again if you want to date someone new

you don’t have to be scared yu

 

**yu**

I know

its just hard

I keep thinking about it during practice

 

**woo**

well don’t let any guy no matter how cute

distract you from dancing

that’s why you’re back in japan in the first place

promise?

 

**yu**

promise

I’ll only let you distract me from now on

 

**woo**

good

love you yuyu

 

**yu**

love you too seok

and we’ll talk about that thing

whatever it is

later ok?

 

**woo**

yeah

I hope so

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

 

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**June 16, 2:00 pm**

**Ed**

my children

how are all of you?

 

**Not Yuto**

hyung

you really need to stop with the weird uncle thing

its getting out of hand

 

**Ed**

shhhhhh

my child

 

**Not Yuto**

you are only 4 years older than me

stop

 

**Ed**

full seriosity tho

are u all ok

 

**Not Yuto**

if you stop being weird

maybe I will be

 

**yeoyo**

you realize the chances of that are very slim, right?

 

**Not Yuto**

I do

*sigh*

how’s china?

 

**yeoyo**

its fine

tiring

I think everyone hates me because I took the place of that girl who got sick

she’s apparently a genius and I’m just me, so

 

**Not Yuto**

stop with that talk changgu-hyung

I’m not having it anymore

 

**yeoyo**

woah whats with you?

 

**Not Yuto**

I’m trying to be positive now

is it that hard of a concept to grasp?

 

**Ed**

;)

 

**yeoyo**

that wasn’t even an innuendo hyung

 

**Ed**

anything is an innuendo if you try hard enough ;))))

 

**yeoyo**

wow

suddenly I think nobody in china hates me as much as I hate you

for putting me through this

for the last 3 years

 

**Ed**

I don’t know what you’re talking about,

I’m a gem

(◕◡◕✿)

speaking of gems

where’s my yuto?

 

**yeoyo**

don’t you text all the time?

 

**Ed**

not all the time

he says I’m lame

(∩︵∩)

 

**Not Yuto**

I chat with him on the daily

he’s doing good

there’s a secret I’m not supposed to tell you about tho

 

**yeoyo**

he’s probably in love or something dumb

 

**Ed**

sounds like our yuto

poor kid

falls for ‘em fast and hard

;)

…what about the other kid?

 

**yeoyo**

there’s another one?

 

**Not Yuto**

haha

he’s talking about shinwon-hyung hyung

 

**yeoyo**

o

i kinda forgot about him, ngl

he probably found a mcdonald’s in LA

and gained so much weight

 

**Ed**

oh my god

we let him into mickey d’s country unsupervised

he’s probably overdosed on hamburgers by now

RIP shinwon

he was a good nephew

 

**Not Yuto**

lol you guys

I’m sure he’s fine

 

**yeoyo**

yo hyung you smell what I smell

 

**Ed**

besides the hamburger and fries I’m suddenly craving

i

smell

piping

hot

TEA

with a capital TT

 

**yeoyo**

spill it maknae

 

**Not Yuto**

I’m only younger than yuto by 8 dayus

 

**yeoyo**

I know what I said

you are the maknae

and your hyungs are telling you to spill

 

**Not Yuto**

I don’t know anything

don’t know what you’re talking about

 

 

☆彡

 

**Private Chat: uh (wooseokie, shinwonnie)**

**June 16, 3:17 pm**

 

**wooseokie**

hyung

hyung help

they’re ambushing me

what do I say???

how does a trip to the bank take this loooong?????

hyuuuuuuuuung

 

**shinwonnie**

chill wooseok

what’s happening?

 

**wooseokie**

have you seen the group chat?

 

**shinwonnie**

yeah

….so?

 

**wooseokie**

well??

what do you want me to say?

 

**shinwonnie**

just

don’t say anything

I’ll think of something

 

**wooseokie**

you’re still not gonna tell them?

 

**shinwonnie**

no need to make them worry about me

I’ll deal with it

don’t worry

 

**wooseokie**

yeah

ok

 

**shinwonnie**

now

important business

do you want tteokbokki or bungeoppang?

 

**wooseokie**

……..

both?

 

**shinwonnie**

anything for you

 

 

☆彡

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**June 16, 3:28 pm**

**Ed**

no offense wooseok

but you’ve never been good at hiding stuff

 

**yeoyo**

like the time he told on you for cheating on that test back in school?

 

**Ed**

…..

yeah

like that

 

**yeoyo**

lolz

 

**Ed**

he stopped replying

looks like uncle dawnie

will have to make a home visit

to see our dear maknae

 

**Not Yuto**

stop

please

 

**yeoyo**

and he appears

whats going on with you seok??

 

**Not Yuto**

look

I can’t uuehghghidns

really talk about it now

 

**Ed**

hmmmm k

 

**Not Yuto**

lets talk about how everyone in china hates changgu-hyung

 

**yeoyo**

don’t remind me

 

**Not Yuto**

is it that bad??

 

**yeoyo**

its just weird

I don’t have any friends

makes me almost miss you guys

 

**Ed**

awwww he misses us!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 

**yeoyo**

I literally said almost

 

**Not Yuto**

let us believe in the love hyung!

 

**yeoyo**

there is this one guy

he works at the convenience store that’s near my dorm

he kinda reminds me of yuto

 

**Ed**

because he’s tall and japanese?

 

**yeoyo**

no

well yeah he’s tall

and I’m guessing he’s from china seeing as he only seems to speak mandarin

but he reminds me of yuto because he acts all tough and distant

but he looks cute

like ive seen him smile when he thought nobody was looking

and he got all squishy and cute

 

**Not Yuto**

hyung

do you even know this guy’s name

you just sound like a stalker

 

**yeoyo**

I’m not a stalker!

I’m just…..admiring the view

 

**Ed**

precisely what a stalker would say

omg

I have a stalker in the family

who would have known

my own flesh and blood

would betray me in this way

 

**yeoyo**

I’m starting to regret talking to all of you

 

 

☆彡

 

 

Hyunggu takes in a deep breath of air, gulping in oxygen while the instructor tells them to take five. He’s tired and sweaty. His muscles ache, hell even his bones ache. But at least its familiar. Nothing is as familiar to Hyunngu as a long dance practice. It leaves his mind numb, his joints screaming, and his muscles feeling stretched and well-used.

 

But it’s good, so good. It’s the only thing that’s keeping him here, in a room full of strange faces and an unfamiliar language.

 

He’s told his friends that he’s doing well, and he really is for the most part. He loves the classes he’s taking, loves dancing, loves eating sushi and ramen and soba. But…

 

But.

 

There’s this weird, looming hole in his life that he is achingly aware his friends usually fill. It’s just small things that Hyunggu notices from time to time. Like when he sees a cute dog on the street, he immediately turns to point it out to the person walking next to him only to find that no one is there. Or when he’s humming to himself while scrolling through instagram in his dorm, no one joins in with a harmony. It’s just Hyunggu’s airy, eerie notes that falter when he remembers he’s not at home anymore.

 

No one is mean, its just that no one is familiar. The other dancers are nice enough, always include him when they go out to meals or invite him on trips when they need one more person to fill the bus. Everyone is nice but they all have their own friends, their own people. Hyunggu has met a dozen people in the last week or so, all friendly enough, but not one of them seems to be an actual friend. There’s no one here to buy him food, to tell him to take a break, to make him laugh when he just really wants to cry.

 

Hyunggu had never realized he relies on his friends so much and the thought leaves him feeling younger than he had when he took his first steps to independence by going to college in the first place.

 

He takes to keeping his phone on him at all times, even during class when he really doesn’t have the time to look at it anyway. The little _ping!_ that bring messages from his friends also brings him comfort, a sense of belonging a sense of being good and right and home.

 

A little _ping!_ goes off from the depth of his dance bag and Hyunggu wastes no time in fishing it out. It’s his friends, chatting up a storm about nothing important at all. Hongseok is sharing a picture that he took at the beach with his nieces, Yan An is complaining about his workplace, Jinho is telling everyone to shut up because he has practice, and Hwitaek is trying to play peacekeeper amidst the chaos.

 

Hyunggu takes a second, just a second, to stretch is worn-out muscles and smile at his friends’ ridiculousness from hundreds to thousands of miles away. He tries to immerse himself in the familiar so maybe he won’t remember just how lonely he feels, if only for a few seconds.

 

A small sound coming from somewhere on Hyunggu’s right makes him tear his eyes away from his phone and his familiarity, but the sight is actually pretty breathtaking.

 

The sound is made by a boy, a boy about Hyunggu’s age, but taller and more muscular. He has dark hair and tan skin and the way he’s smiling fondly down at his own phone held in his hands just about takes Hyunggu’s (already labored from dancing) breath away. The sound the boy made was laughter, unlike anything Hyunggu has ever heard before. It’s high and light and _cute_ , not something he’d expect coming from the normally stone-faced dancer sitting beside him. The boy’s laughter fades into a gentle smile as he starts typing into his phone.

 

Hyunggu, a usually friendly person, is struck with a sudden urge to talk to the boy. He wants to talk to him and learn his name (he knows he’s seen this boy before, probably greeted him a dozen times in class or in the dorms, but his name escapes him), he wants to take walks with him so he can point out cute dogs or make stupid jokes just to see him laugh like that again.

 

And Hyunggu is about to do just that, but when he opens his mouth to fumble his way through an introduction in Japanese, the instructor calls the class back to the floor with a new combination itching under her skin. Hyunggu complies with the command, taking a big gulp of water before shoving his water bottle and his phone back into his bag.

 

As he shakes out his legs and stretches on the dance floor, Hyunggu notices the laughing boy take the open spot next to him. Hyunggu grins in what he hopes is a friendly manner and bows his head in greeting. The other boy bows back, offering a tentative smile of his own.

 

The interaction isn’t much, but it has Hyunggu feeling hopeful. Hopeful that maybe he can make at least one decent friend out of this experience. After all, he has all summer.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I want to say thanks to all of you for continuing to read this and leave me comments! If I were more socially adept I would reply to your comments, but I am an awkward bean so I will say thanks from here :)
> 
> Continue to let me know what you think or if you see any mistakes, it is much appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

 

**Private Chat: Untitled (ugly duckling (•ө•), Unknown)**

**June 18, 12:11 am**

**_ugly duckling (•ө•) changed the chat name to Help Please_ **

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

hello again

 

**Unknown**

well hello my little duckling

to what do I owe this pleasure

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

look

i’m only talking to you because jinho-hyung recommended it

and he’s busy with his musical

and he said that if I interrupt his practice again with more boy problems

then he’ll take a train back to seoul to cut off my hands

**Unknown**

why don’t you want to talk to ur friends about it

i thought Jinho runs with a gay crew

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

yeah

but they all know me and that’s kind of part of the problem

**Unknown**

ooooh

i get it

are you crushing on one of your friends?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

no

**Unknown**

doesn’t sound very convincing

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i’m not!

**Unknown**

suuuuuuuuuuuure

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i don’t have feelings for any of my friends

i actually have a girlfriend

**Unknown**

ok

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i do!

**Unknown**

never said you didn’t

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

oh my god ur infuriating to talk to

**Unknown**

thanks

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

not a compliment

**Unknown**

did u actually want to talk about something

or are you just gonna brag about ur gf?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

you seem cranky

**Unknown**

just tired

had to cover for someone at work

but back to your problems

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

where do you work?

**Unknown**

why are you interested?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i’m the one having the sexual identity crisis

you can at least let me stall on talking about my own problems

and tell me where you work

**Unknown**

ok fine

I work at a piercing place/tattoo parlor

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

wait, ur in south korea, right?

**Unknown**

yeah

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

do you do it illegally?

**Unknown**

yeah

how did you know?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

hopefully you’re not old enough to have your medical degree

actually, how old are you?

 

**Unknown**

isn’t that kind of personal?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i know your name is hyojong and that you’re friends with jinho

i could stalk your sns

 

**Unknown**

haven’t you already?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

no

i guess i don’t really care

but how old are you?

 

**Unknown**

same age as jinho

you should call me hyung

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i’m not going to do that

 

**Unknown**

ok

wouldn’t be the first ungrateful brat to do that

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

do you like your job?

**Unknown**

yes

tho its dangerous work

can’t tell anyone what I really do for a living

im basically like a spy

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i don’t think so

the tattoing laws aren’t really enforced

**Unknown**

its still dangerous!

nobody knows what I do

except my boss and my clients

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

what about your friends?

if you have them, I mean

**Unknown**

i have friends

they know too

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

sure ok I believe you

 

**Unknown**

why don’t i believe that you believe me

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

maybe because i don’t believe you actually have friends

you’re kind of difficult to talk to

 

**Unknown**

jinho is my friend

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

then why have i never seen you before??

 

**Unknown**

like I said

im an enigma

now why did you message me this fine am

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

guess i was just having some thoughts

 

**Unknown**

gay thoughts?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i’m not gay

just

i went out to dinner with my gf

and the waiter was cute?

i guess, i don’t really know

he was short and had a really nice smile

and i had a reaction to it

like butterflies in my stomach

he made me feel nervous and i don’t really know why

 

**Unknown**

wow

and how do you feel about that

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i don’t know

i guess kind of guilty because my girlfriend was literally right there

but i also kind of wanted to squish his cheeks

is that something people attracted to boys want to do??

 

**Unknown**

I’ve had my fair share of cheek-squishing urges

amongst other urges ;)

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

well then

this has been riveting

but I have to go

hyuna keeps asking who im texting

 

**Unknown**

that’s the gf right?

does she know about ur little crisis?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

yes to the girlfriend

no the knowing

i don’t think she’d care

its just i don’t want to share it with her yet

until i know for sure

 

**Unknown**

ok

bye duckling

have fun

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

bye dawn

don’t get caught giving people tattoos

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some double H interactions to feed my triple H feels.
> 
> My research of tattooing in Korea is very shallow, but from what I understand its illegal unless you have your medical license? That may be incorrect, but that's why that line is in there if you're wondering. I just picture Hyojong as a tattoo artist in this fic for no other reason than I think it would be cool.


	11. Chapter 11

 

**My Dumpling (seok-hyung, yan)**

**June 20, 2:14 pm**

 

**yan**

hyung

 

**seok-hyung**

oh my god

is the world ending?

 

**yan**

??

 

**seok-hyung**

yan an is texting me first

you must be dying

or dead

omg are you texting me from the grave??

 

**yan**

i hate you

**seok-hyung**

well that’s nothing new

its early and i feel like death

this better be good

what’s up??

 

**yan**

 

**seok-hyung**

ooooh who’s that

 

**yan**

my stalker

 

**seok-hyung**

i’d let him stalk me

 

**yan**

please stop thinking with your dick and use your brain for a sec, ok?

 

**seok-hyung**

wow, what’s got you so pissy

 

**yan**

see this kid?

 

**seok-hyung**

yeah?

he's so cute, wtf?

 

**yan**

no he's not

this is serious

that’s the same as this, right?

 

**seok-hyung**

uh yeah

i think so?

why?

 

**yan**

guess who’s behind me right now

 

**seok-hyung**

wait really?

 

**yan**

yes

 

**seok-hyung**

are you ok?

 

**yan**

i think so

he’s just following me

has been for a couple blocks

 

**seok-hyung**

oh my god

ok

stay near people

are there any police around?

let them take care of it yan, ok?

just go to the police

yan?

yannie???

ngl im freaking rn

yan???

i will call the police for you

respond

YAN AN!

 

 

☆彡

 

 

Changgu is lost. He accidentally got off a stop too early on the subway and ends up somewhere he’d never been before, his phone barely clinging to life with 10 percent battery left so he can do little more than check the time if he wants it to live until he finds his way to class to charge it. He checks the time and his stomach nearly drops to his feet because he is dangerously close to being late to his very important afternoon seminar.

 

Always one to panic, Changgu follows the voice in his head that tells him to get out and away from the swarm of people on the subway platform. He walks away from the people and the subway and walks too far, so far that he can’t remember where the subway entrance is or see any signs that would point him back to it. Changgu is lost and almost panicking and his phone is now at 8 percent and he can’t think straight enough to find his way back to the subway and the right stop that would lead him back to where he’s supposed to be. This is exactly the reason why Changgu shouldn’t have been allowed to go on this trip to China, should have stayed at home where everything is the same and familiar and not as anxiety-inducing.

 

Changgu finds his way to a street lined with restaurants and food carts, crowded with people and shops and smells completely foreign to Changgu. He’s about to start panicking, head already dizzy with the what-ifs, when he spots a familiar face in the crowd.

 

Changgu doesn’t even hesitate to follow the face he recognizes, fighting his way through the throngs of people to follow the tall boy with the brown hair and black  t-shirt. He doesn’t even think about where he knows this boy from, just knows that he _knows_ him. But when Changgu is inches behind the boy and reaches his hand out to tap him on the shoulder and beg for help, he freezes and realizes he remembers where the boy is from.

 

It’s the convenience store boy, the cute one who doesn’t know English or Korean and looks bored all the time except when he looks at his phone and takes weird selfies when he thinks the customers aren’t looking. Changgu had stopped at that convenience store almost every day on his way to class and a lot of times on his off days, too. The store is neat and organized and only a block away from campus, so it’s always easy find after class. It’s weird seeing the convenience store boy away from his convenience store, out in the open surrounded by people instead of packaged food and advertisements and cigarettes.

 

The sunlight makes his hair look silky smooth and complements his skin in a way that cheap indoor lighting never could. He looks good and it makes Changgu that much more nervous about almost accidentally trying to talk to him again. He doesn't see Changgu, though, doesn't seem to look up from his phone as he navigates the streets.

 

Changgu finds himself following the convenience store boy. He doesn’t mean to, he really doesn’t. It’s just that the boy is tall, tall enough that his head is always visible in the crowd, and when Changgu finds himself drowning in the sea of people again, he just kind of…starts to follow him.

 

He follows him down one street and then another. The food stands start to melt away, replaced by small boutiques and clothing stores. The crowd gets a little less stifling so Changgu keeps following.

 

After a few blocks, it occurs to Changgu that the boy might be on his way to work. And if he is, continuing to follow him would lead him to the convenience store at the plaza that’s only a block away from campus. Which would be a good idea, because when Changgu checks his phone (now at 6 percent), he only has five minutes to get to the seminar. At this point, he’ll take what he can get.

 

So he keeps following the boy as he turns down different streets, hoping that against all odds this will lead him back to where he needs to be. If it doesn’t, Changgu really hopes that this guy isn’t sketchy and is trying to lead him into a dark alley where he’ll beat him up and steal his organs to sell on the black market or something.

 

After a few more blocks and twice as many minutes (he’s definitely late for the seminar now, but at least he still has his organs), some of the buildings Changgu passes start to look familiar. There’s that old run-down café/book store that Changgu thinks he’s been to after class with his classmates one time, and that weird piece of graffiti that looks like an angry octopus. Things start to look familiar and suddenly Changgu finds himself standing in the middle of the plaza that he’s visited almost every day for the past few weeks.

 

Changgu could cry. Just minutes before he’d almost been convinced that he’d be left to bleed to death in a foreign country and now he’s saved. Sure he’ll probably get yelled at for being late to the seminar, but at least he’s alive and in one piece. He’s so happy he could kiss someone. As soon as the thought enters his head, though, Changgu finds himself blushing because of course the first person that had popped into his head as a possible kissee is convenience store boy.

 

Changgu looks around instinctively for the boy, but finds that he’s already gone. Probably went into the convenience store for work. He considers for a second if he should drop into the store and thank the boy for saving him, but then he remembers the he can’t really communicate with the boy at all and all he did was follow him around like a stalker. No, he should probably just get to class.

 

Changgu turns on his heel to do just that and comes face to face with convenience store boy. And he does not have his customer service face on. He looks tall and pissed and Changgu reflexively brings his phone up in front of him as a weak form of defense. Changgu stutters out a greeting and tries to smile but the convenience store boy starts talking. Well, he’s actually kind of yelling, all high-pitched and so fast that Changgu can’t pick out anything he’s saying even if he did speak Mandarin.

 

He takes a step back and tries to look apologetic for whatever has made the boy this mad, but the other boy takes a step forward and keeps yelling, sounding fast and harsh and angry.

 

Changgu is now about to cry for a completely different reason. This cute Chinese boy that Changgu doesn’t really even know is yelling at him in the middle of the street, causing a scene and making him feel like he accidentally said something horrible to the boy’s mother. Thankfully, the boy is just yelling at Changgu, and when Changgu turns to jog away the boy doesn’t try to grab him or run after him. As it is, Changgu is really scared that he might still get murdered before he leaves Shanghai, so he snaps a picture of his aggressor as he flees the scene and sends one text before his phone dies.

 

 

☆彡

 

**Private Chat: pretty petty (won, ggu)**

**June 20, 2:37 pm**

**ggu**

fyi if i die im p sure tthis is my murdeer

  

 

☆彡

**My Dumpling (seok-hyung, yan)**

**June 20, 2:42 pm**

 

**yan**

whoops

 

**seok-hyung**

what do you mean whoops?

you ok?

 

**yan**

yeah

 

**seok-hyung**

whats going on?

do you really have a stalker?

 

**yan**

ok so

i was on my way to work

when i notice the sweatshirt kid

he’s just standing there, looks kinda lost

but then he sees me and makes a bee-line

i walk away but he just follows me for like an insane amount of time

i was gonna get to the store and get my uncle to take care of him

but when we get to the plaza by the store he just stops

and i was kind of angry and jittery from being followed

 

**seok-hyung**

omg what did you do?

is he still alive?

 

**yan**

yeah

i just kind of yelled at him, you know?

like who follows somebody like that

made me freak out and think i was gonna get murdered

i just wanted to scare him off

but i think i just made him cry

 

**seok-hyung**

what the fuck?

 

**yan**

what the fuck indeed

 

**seok-hyung**

but you’re safe, right?

 

**yan**

yeah, in the store

 

**seok-hyung**

ok text me when you leave and get back home ok?

 

**yan**

ugh im fine mom

you don’t need to worry

 

**seok-hyung**

you’re the one who was just freaking out about a stalker!!

 

**yan**

honestly i think he might've just been lost

he looked like a scared puppy dog when i started yelling at him

 

**seok-hyung**

feeling sympathy for a stalker?

not cool yannie

 

**yan**

shut up

 

**seok-hyung**

probably because he’s so handsome

and cute

 

**yan**

watch out or i’ll tell jinho about that dream you had about him

**seok-hyung**

.........

you’re evil

 

**yan**

you know it :)

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: pretty petty (won, ggu)**

**June 20, 4:28 pm**

 

**won**

what the fuck?

should i be worried about ur health?

changgu?

u ded?

can i have ur stuff?

 

**ggu**

omg hyung i almost died

 

**won**

but you didn’t?

shame

 

**ggu**

it was really scary

this guy started yelling at me and almost stabbed me

 

**won**

wut?

 

**ggu**

he was gonna take my kidneys

 

**won**

realy?

 

**ggu**

no

but i cried and almost peed my pants

 

**won**

well

glad ur ok

and urine free

 

**ggu**

thanks

nice to hear from you hyung

 

**won**

oh

yeah

you too

 

**ggu**

do you have time? i kinda wanna call someone

 

**won**

shit

you can’t uh

actually im at a shoot

 

**ggu**

its ok

i'll call hyojongie-hyung

 

**won**

ok good

gtg

laterz

stay safe

 

**ggu**

ok ttyl

have fun at work!!!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own none of these pictures!


	12. Chapter 12

 

♥♥Summer 20XX Playlist♥♥

 

1.[Goodbye (2NE1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w)..................................................3:51

2\. [봄날 Spring Day (BTS)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8).........................................4:34

3\. [Where You At (NU’EST W)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8-4mBiCSI)...................................3:10

4\. [I'll Be Alright/Tonight (Mura Masa)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2EuGFi2bo).....................3:50

5\. [Paris, Tokyo (Lupe Fiasco)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2uqGLNm5k)..................................4:30

6\. [The Universe (Nomak)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAKPHScin0)........................................5:28

7\. [If I Could Tell Her (Ben Platt & Laura Dreyfuss)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7h7c_L_Yp4)...4:08

8\. [Michael in the Bathroom (George Salazar)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1P-5Ey4dU)..........4:57

9\. [To Find You (Sing Street)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9L4U7Q5ZvI)....................................3:20

 

 

☆彡

 

 

_Hongsoekie,_

_Hope the devil spawn are treating you well. I’m actually really enjoying my time at the theater this season, the cast is mostly competent and there’s some really good vocalists as well so hopefully everything won’t suck ass. That being said, I think I’m actually starting to miss those idiotic kids we both call friends. I don’t really know how Hui is keeping it together without us, the poor idiot._

_My music taste right now is awful because all I’m listening to are the songs I’m supposed to memorize. So I added some songs that I’d rather be singing than the stuff they’re making me sing here. I know that they’re songs from musicals, but that’s really all I can think of to add. At least maybe it will piss of Yan An._

_Anyways, take care of yourself. Looking forward to meeting up with everyone in September._

_Jinho_

☆彡

 

**Jinho’s Letter to Hongseok: First through Third Attempts**

**(unsent and still crumpled up at the bottom of Jinho’s trashcan)**

_My dearest Hongseokie,_

_Hope the devil spawn are treating you well. I’m actually really enjoying my time at the theater this season, the cast is mostly competent and there’s some really good vocalists as well so hopefully everything won’t suck ass. Everything sucks without you. Huh, I finally get that Kelly Clarkson song now._

_Speaking of songs, all the songs I added are ones I want to sing. Mostly to you. Except maybe the bathroom song, I just really like that one. But don’t look too closely, they don’t mean anything. Unless you want them to. This sucks, I’m throwing this away._

_Jinho_

 

 

_Dear Hongseok,_

_Hope the devil spawn are treating you well. I’m actually really enjoying my time at the theater this season, the cast is mostly competent and there’s some really good vocalists as well so hopefully everything won’t suck ass. I’m pretty sure one of the hyungs on set was hitting on me, but I couldn’t really tell because I’m awful at flirting and romance and telling people that I might be interested in them. Like you. Don’t die before I get the chance to tell you._

_Your Idiot,_

_Jinho_

 

 

_Seok,_

_I miss you. Don’t get too attached to LA. Come back to me._

_Love,_

_Jinho_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The hardest part of this chapter was choosing which song from Dear Evan Hansen to include.


	13. Chapter 13

 

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**June 23, 11:33 pm**

**Wonton**

hey guys

sorry for being awol lately

 

**yeoyo**

HYUNG!

 

**Yuto**

wow hyung, whats up?

 

**Ed**

nice to finally hear from you

Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ

you dick

 

**Not Yuto**

haha yeah

nice to see you

or text you

i can’t see you right now

that would be dumb

 

**Wonton**

would you guys like to see me?

 

**Not Yuto**

wut?

 

**Wonton**

 

**Not Yuto**

oh

 

**Wonton**

 

**Ed**

nice picz

 

**yeoyo**

wow those are really good!

are they for the job?

 

**Yuto**

is LA treating you well?

**Wonton**

yeah they are changgu

 its been lots of fun

really busy, though

so sorry for not being able to text often

 

**Ed**

s’ok

just send us pics like that every once in while to keep us well fed

(•‾⌣‾•)و ̑̑♡

 

**Wonton**

haha

 

**yeoyo**

i bet that time difference is a bitch too

 

**Wonton**

ah

yeah

it sucks

 

**Ed**

what time is it over there?

 

**Not Yuto**

its 7:50 am

 

**Yuto**

wow wooseok

do you miss shinwon-hyung or something?

 

**Not Yuto**

what?

a man can’t know what time it is in a different time zone?

 

**Yuto**

you’re just a weirdo

 

**Not Yuto**

same could be said for you

how’s Japan?

 

**Yuto**

fine

 

**Not Yuto**

dance?

 

**Yuto**

fine

 

**Not Yuto**

cute boys?

 

**Ed**

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

**Yuto**

i hate you

 

**Ed**

tell us about the cute boys

i love talking to boys about cute boys

its like a thing recently

 

**yeoyo**

what are you talking about?

 

**Yuto**

oh wow

look at the time

gotta go

 

**Ed**

come baaaaack!!!!

YUTO!

 

**yeoyo**

you scared him away dumbass

but is there really a cute boy seokie?

 

**Not Yuto**

best friends never spill secrets and tell

 

**Wonton**

yeah

maybe we should respect his privacy

 

**yeoyo**

ok wow what are you hiding?

 

**Wonton**

what? nothing!

why would you think that?

 

**yeoyo**

hyung please

you live for gossip

especially when it comes to relationships

 

**Wonton**

well

living in a foreign country has taught me to be more mature

 

**yeoyo**

doubtful

 

**Wonton**

i wish that crazy Chinese guy actually murdered you

 

**Not Yuto**

wait what?

 

**Ed**

were you almost murdered changgu?

 

**yeoyo**

only a little

its ok

im avoiding that guy like my life depends on it

 

**Ed**

 you were almost murdered and you know the guy who almost did it?

 

**yeoyo**

kinda

i know at least where he works

 

**Ed**

you should get his number

 

**yeoyo**

no

 

**Ed**

i want to yell at him for not finishing the job

 

**yeoyo**

hyung! this is serious!

 

**Wonton**

no its not

he’s fine

he just yelled at changgu after he stalked him like a loser

 

**yeoyo**

i was lost and he was familiar

 

**Wonton**

and cute

 

**Ed**

how do you know?

 

**Wonton**

he sent me a picture

 

**Ed**

let me see

 

**yeoyo**

please don’t

 

**Wonton**

oops too late

 

**Ed**

damn

he looks hot when he’s angry

 

**yeoyo**

more like scary

 

**Ed**

still hot

scary hot

i’d also like to know why you contacted shinwon first

about your little stalker sitch

and not say

………

me?

 

**Not Yuto**

don’t

 

**Ed**

your uncle dawnie

 

****

**_Not Yuto left the chat_ **

**yeoyo**

just look at what you’ve done

 

**Wonton**

welp

i think my work here is done

g2g i need to uh

make breakfast

 

**yeoyo**

take care hyung!

 

**Ed**

text more often

even if its just to let us know ur alive

 

**Wonton**

ok i will

 

**Ed**

love you

(ʃƪ ˘ ³˘)

 

**yeoyo**

this is why the maknaes left

 

**Ed**

what? we’re all friends here?

no homo

except kinda

 

**yeoyo**

you are so ridiculous

 

**Wonton**

love you guys too

 

 

☆彡

 

 

“Are you mad at me?”

 

Wooseok had been happily scrolling through Instagram on his phone, occasionally adding comments to the group chat when things are getting out of hand, when Shinwon’s question throws him off guard. He looks up to see his friend avoiding his gaze, staring at his own phone in his hand, at the other end of Wooseok’s bed. He’s thrown off guard by the question, but that doesn’t make him hesitate in answering.

 

“No. Of course not.”

 

Wooseok goes back to Instagram, looking through Yuto’s followers to find any Korean dancers that Wooseok doesn’t already know because Yuto’s possible crush is actually driving Wooseok a little crazier than it probably should. Shinwon flops over at the other end of the bed so forcefully that it sends shockwaves all the way across the mattress to Wooseok, making him bounce a little on the bed. He looks up from Instagram yet again in his alarm, and his heart actually hurts a little with how crumpled and confused Shinwon looks. Wooseok puts his phone down carefully and sits up a little, his back resting against the headboard.

 

“Are _you_ mad at _me?”_ he asks carefully.

 

Shinwon shakes his head and throws his arm over his eyes.

 

Wooseok chews on his bottom lip and starts thinking. “Are you mad at you?”

 

“I dunno…maybe.”

 

“Why?”

 

Shinwon sighs and then pouts.

 

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he mumbles, scrunching his nose with distaste at his own sentence.

 

It takes Wooseok a second to figure out what Shinwon is thinking about.

 

“The group chat?” he clarifies.

 

Shinwon nods without uncovering his eyes and then goes straight back to pouting.

 

Wooseok has to choose his next words carefully. Shinwon doesn’t open up often, and when he does, Wooseok has to tread carefully or else he will shut down completely. Living together for the past few weeks has given him a lot of practice, so he likes to think he’s gotten pretty good at reading the older boy. But then again, Shinwon has been weird lately, prone to staring into space with glassy eyes or sleeping well into the afternoon. He’s prickly when Wooseok asks him too many questions, so Wooseok has taken to letting Shinwon set the tone for their conversations. He’s kind of surprised Shinwon is still talking now and he really doesn’t want to mess this up and make Shinwon bottle up his feelings even more than he already has. But then again, Wooseok is tired of seeing his friend like this, seeing him feeling helpless and confused and questioning everything. Things won’t get fixed if Wooseok doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t offer help. And Wooseok will do anything to help Shinwon.

 

“Then why did you do it?” he asks.

 

The older boy shrugs, and then slowly lowers his arm to reveal his eyes. They’re glistening and red-rimmed like he’s about to cry. Fuck.

 

Wooseok shuffles closer to Shinwon but doesn’t touch him. He sits and waits for Shinwon to talk while he bites his lip to stop from crying and Wooseok doesn’t know what to do to stop that from happening.

 

“I—I hate lying to them,” Shinwon starts after a full minute of silence. “But I’d hate it even more if they thought I was a failure.”

 

At those words, Wooseok’s body moves of its own accord, his baser instincts taking over what the part of his brain that rules over what is and what is not socially acceptable to do in this situation. He thinks about pulling Shinwon into his lap, but he doesn’t quite know how to maneuver his limbs so he shimmies down and lies down next to Shinwon at the foot of his bed so that they’re laying side by side, staring up together at the ceiling tiles.  

 

“You’re not a failure,” he whispers softly to the ceiling. He hears Shinwon puff out a breath of self-depreciating laughter at that beside him, but doesn’t chance a look at him. He’s about to get sappy and he doesn’t think he can do it if he’s looking Shinwon in the eye. “It’s true. You’re not a failure. Maybe a little lost and confused, but not a failure. You put yourself out there, doing something that you love and it just…didn’t work out. So what? Nobody is successful the first time they try something. And I know it sucks and you were excited about it, but there will be more opportunities in the future. I’m sure of it. You’re talented, hyung. You just need to see it.”

 

Wooseok’s little rant is met with silence, but he still doesn’t want to check on Shinwon to see how he’s reacting. He can tell his own face is heating up, probably a deep crimson color from his embarrassment at being all emotional and saying all the things he’s been thinking over the last couple of weeks out loud. It might be embarrassing, but Shinwon needs to hear it.

 

Just when the silence is getting to be too much and Wooseok wants to run out of his own room because Shinwon probably hates him now, the other boys speaks up.

 

“Thanks for not saying anything to the others, Seok.”

 

Wooseok frowns at the ceiling.

 

“And for not saying anything about those old pictures either. I know you know they’re old.”

 

Wooseok does know those pictures he sent were old, taken a couple months ago, not LA but here in Korea. Wooseok knows because he’s the one that took them. He’s kind of surprised nobody recognized the buildings.

 

Wooseok just hums because he doesn’t really trust himself to speak anymore. He doesn’t want to keep lying to his friends, even if it is because of Shinwon. It’s frustrating as hell, but he knows he can never be the one to tell them. Shinwon will have to do it himself, when he’s ready.

 

“And,” Shinwon continues quietly, shifting a little on the bed. “Thanks for being here. For me. I know it’s kind of shitty of me to ask you to do this and, like, let me live with you. It’s just…it’s hard and I’m just kind of now realizing how much I care about everyone’s opinion of me. Yours especially. So I really hope you aren’t mad at me. Just…just keep doing what you’re doing, if you can. I—you’re the only thing keeping me sane right now.”

 

Now its Wooseok’s turn to try not to cry. He knows Shinwon and he knows that what he just said out loud took a lot of courage. He knows what he’s been doing, letting Shinwon staying with him, pretending how nothing is wrong, is helping Shinwon feel normal. He can only hope that by continuing to be there for him and being a supportive friend will be enough to let Shinwon heal himself. Shinwon, Wooseok realizes, is the only one who can fix this.  He hopes Shinwon knows that, too.

 

“I—yeah. I can do that.”

 

He feels Shinwon relax beside him, suddenly aware at how tense he had been during their weird late night heart-to-heart. Wooseok relaxes too, tells his muscles to let go of the stress and the anxiety they’d been hiding. He relaxes and realizes that he’s actually kind of tired.

 

“Good,” Shinwon whispers again before stifling a yawn. Wooseok finds himself grinning.

 

“Should we go to bed? It is kind of late.”

 

Shinwon hums in agreement.

 

Avoiding each others’ eyes, the two friends shuffle around getting ready for bed, taking turns to brush their teeth and wash their face in the bathroom. Shinwon hesitates before he climbs into bed beside Wooseok, biting his lower lip. Wooseok just pats the open space next to him with a small grin. _It will be okay._

 

Shinwon returns a gentle smile and settles in.

 

“Goodnight, Wooseok-ah. And thanks…again.”

 

“Night hyung. Anything for you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your comments and kudos! Keep telling me what you think/if there's anything I can fix!
> 
> On a separate note, I'm a little late to the party but I will support Hyojong and Hyuna irl until my last breath, thank you. (Also I was watching some old Triple H videos and its hilarious whenever they get too flirty and Hui randomly pops up on screen, probably because some CUBE staff told him to - what a leader)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. huidawn  
> 2\. some sexual talk but nothing explicit  
> 3\. random pics of Korean actors  
> 4\. huidawn  
> 5\. huidawn

**Private Chat: Help Please (ugly duckling (•ө•), Unknown)**

**June 24, 3:09 pm**

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

hi

do you have a minute?

 

**Unknwon**

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

what is happening

what’s this?

**Unknown**

i’ve been thinking about something recently

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

didn’t think you were capable

but why the picture??

 

**Unknown**

just humor me

that’s me

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

where?

 

**Unknown**

in the picture

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

no its not

its lee jongsuk

**Unknown**

hmmmm

how do you know its lee jongsuk?

is he your type?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

no?

i just know that that is lee jongsuk

some of my friends are in love with him

**Unknown**

and you’re not?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

……

he’s good-looking I guess

**Unknown**

you guess

hmmmm

ok, so you’re not gay

because everyone who is gay is in love with lee jongsuk

Fact.

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i thought i already established that i’m not gay

**Unknown**

just checking

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

im definitely attracted to girls

**Unknown**

hence the gf

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

exactly

it’s the boys that just recently became a…thing

**Unknown**

a thing?

tell uncle dawnie about it

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

wow ok

you need to stop

**Unknown**

no

****

****

**_“Unknown” changed their nickname to “uncle dawnie”_ **

****

****

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

that’s…very disturbing

but i have the feeling nothing i say is going to stop you so

the boy thing? its complicated

**uncle dawnie**

isn’t that why you’re talking to me in the first place?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

well there’s that

 and you’re the only person who will respond in a timely manner

all my friends are busy or in a different time zone

and my girlfriend is working right now

**uncle dawnie**

stop getting off topic

when did you realize you wanted the d?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i don’t even know if I want the “d”

**uncle dawnie**

because you already have the v?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i’ve never heard anyone call it the v before

plus i’m kind of in love with her

and i want only her

in sexual relations

well i mean i want her romantically and companionably

i know she’s not a sexual object

i just meant that i don’t want anyone else sexually

just her

**uncle dawnie**

in uncle dawnie’s opinion

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

oh my god.

 

**uncle dawnie**

as I said, in uncle dawnie’s opinion

it sounds like you’re trying awfully hard to convince yourself of that

you know its ok to be sexually attracted to other people when you’re in a relationship

as long as you don’t act on it or let it become romantic without their permission

you know that, right?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i don’t think its that simple

**uncle dawnie**

it really is though

it’s a basic biological urge

you can’t really control it

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i feel like shit when i see a cute guy and wonder what it would be like to kiss him

and then i look at hyuna and i know how much she loves me and it just

.....

yeah

**uncle dawnie**

but sexual fantasies are just another part of life

i have sexual fantasies about boys all the time

and girls

anyone, really

like all the time

it doesn’t have to mean anything because its just a fantasy

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

that is a lot more than i ever needed to know

but if its just a fantasy

does that still mean i’m like bi or whatever?

**uncle dawnie**

honestly, there isn’t really a text book on this stuff

well there kind of is, and like a lot of research

its really interesting, you should check it out if you’re interested

but that’s not really what we’re concerned about

its basically how you identify

you can be bi and only have been with a girl

just like you can be straight with a tendency for homosexual fantasies

or like me

i don’t really like labels because i’m always changing

i like to think of myself as sexually fluid

which is funny cause sex has lots of fluids

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

that’s

disgusting

**uncle dawnie**

just think about it

labels have their good sides and bad sides

you don’t need one if you want

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

thanks i guess

**uncle dawnie**

any time

what about him?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

who is that?

 

**uncle dawnie**

you don’t know him?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

no??

 

**uncle dawnie**

damn

well what do you think about him?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

he has a nice nose?

 

**uncle dawnie**

what else?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

he’s attractive idk what you want me to say

 

**uncle dawnie**

would you fuck him?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

oh my god

 

**uncle dawnie**

answer the damn question

I’m trying to help you figure this shit out ok?

the one day you said you had the hots for a tall guy with black hair

then it was a short guy with squishable cheeks

I’m trying to figure out your type

so

would you fuck him yes or no?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

maybe? if he bought me dinner first

**uncle dawnie**

haha

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

but why do I need a type?

i have hyuna

**uncle dawnie**

you have got to stop using your gf as a reason to not explore your sexuality

sorry if I’m overstepping

I think its great that you’re so devoted to her and stuff

but if there is this whole other side to you that youre going to keep hidden

just because youre already in a committed relationship

don’t you think that’s kind of shitty?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

youre not overstepping

i guess you do have a point

i do want to tell her about this when I figure it out

i want hyuna to know the real me, the whole me

 

**uncle dawnie**

ok

good

so

what about this guy

would you suck his dikc

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

this is weird

 

**uncle dawnie**

why?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i’m rating people off of pictures

i guess im more of an emotional connection kind of guy

 

**uncle dawnie**

well then what do you imagine about him that would make you warm and fuzzy?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

he has a really intense gaze

hmmmmmmm

he looks like he could make a mean hot chocolate when its cold outside

but maybe its just his jacket

 

**uncle dawnie**

is he boyfriend material?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

I have a girlfriend

**uncle dawnie**

dude what did we just talk about

but if you weren’t dating her would you date him?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

maybe

**uncle dawnie**

ok, we’re getting somewhere

him?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

he’s not familiar either

 

**uncle dawnie**

well he’s really famous

he’s a model

known for being attractive

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

is that you?

 

**uncle dawnie**

what no??

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

really? seems like something you would do

**uncle dawnie**

nope, not me

you don’t even know me

this is me

im tall and awkward

but what about the other guy

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

he’s ok

 

**uncle dawnie**

just ok?

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i like his hair

and his eyes

he looks like he would want to be tough presence in front of others

but is really a big marshmallow on the inside

also a good cuddler maybe

**uncle dawnie**

interesting

hey

i just realized our names match

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

what?

**uncle dawnie**

ud and ud

uncle dawnie and ugly duckling

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

ok?

**uncle dawnie**

its cute

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

its…

i don’t even know how to describe it

 

**uncle dawnie**

besides cute?

genius?

amazing?

awe-inspiring?

breathtaking?

adorable?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

stop

please

 

**uncle dawnie**

(;﹏;)

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

ughhhhh

 

**uncle dawnie**

:)

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: Help Please (ugly duckling (•ө•), uncle dawnie)**

**June 24, 10:40 pm**

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

hey

 

**uncle dawnie**

sup?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

you always respond so quickly

do you do nothing but sit by your phone all day?

waiting for people to message you?

 

**uncle dawnie**

no

that’s not even a little bit true

i have lots of friends

who message me all the time

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

see

you just made it sound like you don’t

 

**uncle dawnie**

well

i live by myself but i hate the quiet

so i play a lot of music on my phone

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

what are you listening to now?

 

**uncle dawnie**

lil dicky

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i

regret asking

 

**uncle dawnie**

why? he’s cool

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

wait, that’s real?

 

**uncle dawnie**

of course

i don’t joke about music

or lil dicky

except for the obvious of course lol

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

…….

 

**uncle dawnie**

(－ｏ⌒)

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

ok so

i have a kind of serious question?

 

**uncle dawnie**

i shall put my serious hat on

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

oh my god

 

**uncle dawnie**

ok, i’m ready

got my hat

shoot

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

ok

right

i really wonder why i’m even asking about this

but earlier

you said i was trying to convince myself

that i’m not attracted to other people just because i have my gf

 

**uncle dawnie**

in all serioisity

a lot of what i say is bullshit

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i mean, i know that

but still

i’ve been thinking

like

what if i’m just trying to convince myself of a lot of stuff?

 

**uncle dawnie**

hmmmm ok

like what?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i

i think

i’ve been pushing stuff aside for a long time

like stuff i didn’t want to see

but now that its becoming so much so i can’t ignore it anymore

i think i’m trying to give myself an out, like an excuse

 

**uncle dawnie**

you’re losing me a little bit

what is this about?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i

i still don’t think im ready to see it yet

 

**uncle dawnie**

i’m not going to force you to tell me anything

but like keeping stuff bottled up is never a good thing

and my door is always open

figuratively of course

i kinda live in a sketch neighborhood

that would just be like asking to get robbed

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

i think no matter what

i’m gonna have to face it soon

just

until then

can we just forget it?

 

**uncle dawnie**

i’m still not entirely sure what we’re talking about

but sure, as long as you know you have to face it

its all forgotten

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

thanks

 

**uncle dawnie**

for what?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

just listening to me

i know i'm probably annoying and i have a lot of issues

with like confidence and expressing myself

just

thanks for listening and not being too critical

 

**uncle dawnie**

you're not annoying

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

really?

 

**uncle dawnie**

only a little

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

well

you are too

 

**uncle dawnie**

good

don't want to get soft in my old age

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

that's it?

 

**uncle dawnie**

what?

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

no dick joke?

 

**uncle dawnie**

idk what you mean

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

its kind of obvious

you really don't see it?

 

**uncle dawnie**

of course i see it, i see all

you're catching on well, my little duck

very well indeed

 

**ugly duckling (•ө•)**

ಠ_ಠ

 


	15. Chapter 15

 

**Private Chat: jinhongseok (jinjin, seokseok)**

**June 26, 3:19 pm**

**jinjin**

hey seok

how’s it going?

oh shit, its not too late, is it?

 

**seokseok**

no its fine!

i’m still up

mina just went to sleep even though her bed time is like 2 hours ago

 

**jinjin**

are you by yourself then?

 

**seokseok**

yep, just me and the kids

my sister and brother-in-law went to a conference in Denver over the weekend

 

**jinjin**

isn’t that really difficult??

3 kids by yourself?

 

**seokseok**

its okay

we have a routine by now

i tell them what to do and they ignore me all day

until they get tired and fall asleep

i’m really counting down the days til i get back

 

**jinjin**

haha me too

well not just for you

everyone, really

 

**seokseok**

yeah

it will be nice to get everyone back together

i actually miss them all

 

**jinjin**

me too

its kind of dumb

but its really lonely without them and their noise

 

**seokseok**

i know what you mean

 

**jinjin**

have you heard from anyone lately?

i’ve mostly just been in contact with you and hui

 

**seokseok**

i haven’t talked to yan an in a few days

since his whole stalker fiasco

 

**jinjin**

yeah, what was that all about?

 

**seokseok**

you know i’m not really sure

i worry about him sometimes but

i really love that kid

 

**jinjin**

oh

uh have you heard from hyunggu?

 

**seokseok**

not a whole lot

just quick updates

it sounds like he’s having fun

 

**jinjin**

yeah

i think so too

 

**seokseok**

how’s hui?

 

**jinjin**

i’m not really sure

i have the feeling he’s hiding something from me

but i can’t tell because we just text a lot and i can’t tell if he’s using his lying face or not

 

**seokseok**

have you tried facetime?

 

**jinjin**

he always says he’s busy

 

**seokseok**

hm that sounds suspicious

i doubt he’d accept my call either

maybe we can send hyunggu after him?

 

**jinjin**

maybe

i actually just thought about someone who might be able to help

give me a minute

 

 

☆彡

**Private Chat: Do Not Answer (Jinho, idiot)**

**June 26, 4:06 pm**

 

**Jinho**

so

i’ve heard you’ve been talking to my friend

 

**idiot**

hui?

 

**Jinho**

no, my other friend who i gave your number to and told you to text

yes hui, you idiot

 

**idiot**

to be fair you didn’t really specify

so

 

**Jinho**

whatever

how’s it going?

 

**idiot**

how’s what going?

 

**Jinho**

the hui thing, dumbass

how’s it going?

 

**idiot**

fine

 

**Jinho**

what’s he saying?

 

**idiot**

i don’t think i should share that with you

 

**Jinho**

why?

is it bad?

 

**idiot**

not bad

just personal

 

**Jinho**

well i’m his friend

actually i’m the person he’d probably be talking to except i’m too busy

so

what’s he saying?

 

**idiot**

maybe in some alternate universe you would be the person hui talks to about this stuff

but in this universe you gave him my number

and i don’t spill private info to other people

why don’t you ask him yourself?

 

**Jinho**

he’s gotten very secretive lately

i think he’s hiding something

 

**idiot**

well it sound like you should talk to him about that

not me

 

**Jinho**

when did you get so….smart?

for lack of a better term

 

**idiot**

i have my moments

 

**Jinho**

clearly not a lot

 

**idiot**

what about you?

 

**Jinho**

what do you mean?

 

**idiot**

do you have any boy problems you want to talk about?

 

**Jinho**

nope

 

**idiot**

you sure?

i’ve been told i’m good at giving advice

 

**Jinho**

i do not have any boy problems

why would you even think that?

 

**idiot**

wow

are all of you and your friends just living in little repressed bubbles?

 

**Jinho**

excuse you

i like my repressed bubble

its comfortable

 

**idiot**

would you rather be comfortable?

or regularly get your dick sucked?

with feelings involved of course bc

you strike me as the relationship type

 

**Jinho**

i hate you

 

**idiot**

at this point, i’d honestly be concerned if i didn’t hear that at least twice a day

 

 

☆彡

**Private Chat: jinhongseok (jinjin, seokseok)**

**June 26, 4:38 pm**

**jinjin**

well that didn’t really work

 

**seokseok**

who’d you talk to?

 

**jinjin**

remember that summer i worked in the gay club?

 

**seokseok**

of course

you got me and hui in even though we were underage

 

**jinjin**

yeah that’s also how i lost my job

anyways one of my old coworkers has been talking to him

 

**seokseok**

wait hui’s been talking to an old gay bartender?

 

**jinjin**

actually hyojong is the same age as you

he got fired around the same time that i did funnily enough

 

**seokseok**

oh

are they close enough that this hyojong guy would know what’s going on with hui?

 

**jinjin**

i think they might

but he wouldn’t tell me

 

**seokseok**

hmmm

i can’t tell if i admire his ability to keep our friend’s secret

or hate him for keeping important information from us

 

**jinjin**

its times like this that i realize i basically parent our entire friend group

except you of course

 

**seokseok**

i’m like the other weird parent

_yeobo_ what are we gonna do with these kids?? _aigoo_

 

**jinjin**

haha

that’s cute

 

**seokseok**

oh

shit

i just heard a noise from jia’s room

ughh she woke up

i have to put her back to bed

i’ll talk to you later?

 

**jinjin**

of course!

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: Do Not Answer (Jinho, idiot)**

**June 26, 8:42 pm**

**Jinho**

ugh

i can’t believe i’m doing this

but can i take you up on your offer?

 

**idiot**

boy problems?

 

**Jinho**

unfortunately

 

**idiot**

uncle dawnie is listening

 

****

**_Jinho is calling idiot…_ **

****

****

“I must be at my lowest point, what the fuck am I doing?”

 

_“Hello to you, too, hyung.”_

 

“Sorry Hyojong-ah. I just—I just hate everything right now.”

 

_“Want to talk about it?”_

 

“Okay. So…”

 

_“Yeah?”_

 

“There’s a guy.”

 

_“Knew it. Continue.”_

 

“That I like?”

 

_“Now I see why you and Hui are friends.”_

 

“—”

 

_“’Cause you both don’t know if you like guys. Except you definitely like guys and Hui is the one who’s more questioning his sexuality and stuff—”_

 

“Shut up.”

 

_“Okay, shutting up. Please continue.”_

 

“Okay. So. Fuck, I dunno. We were just texting, the guy I like, and the whole time we just talked about our friends. Which is fine because I like our friends. But we only talked about them and what they’re doing and he said he loved Yan An and I was like what the fuck? But I think he meant it in a friendly, like, he’s my bro way because I’m pretty sure he would tell me if he was crushing on Yannie or something. And he’s basically our child anyway and that would be weird. And I made some comment about how I feel like I’m the parent of the group because I was thinking all I seem to fucking talk about are my kids—I mean my friends. See? Oh my god. Anyways, then he was like, well I’m the other parent and he called me _yeobo_. _Yeo_ -fucking- _bo_. Of course he didn’t mean but I just—he’s so perfect, you know? He’s caring, like he fucking nannies for his nieces and he sends us pictures of them sometimes? And he pretends like they’re little demons but I know how much he cares about them and stuff. And he’s handsome and strong and smart and I am no fucking match for him but he’s in LA and I think all this distance stuff and seeing him being cute with kids has made me realize that I’m kind of in love with him? I probably have been for a while? And I don’t know what to do? Because he’s in America and he wants to be a teacher and I’m a dumb musical actor who can’t get work half the time because the field is so competitive and—and I’m so fucking short. You’d never think that height would be important in musicals but it is because I’ll always be paired with a female lead, which is dumb in its own right, and people don’t like it when women are tall and men are short. How fucked up is that? Like we have enough stereotypes and restrictions on shit like that, why do we need to add height into the mix?”

 

_“—”_

 

“I’m done.”

_“Are you sure?”_

 

“Yes. Thanks. I think I just needed to rant.”

 

_“Clearly.”_

 

“All that was confidential, okay?”

 

_“Of course.”_

 

“Thanks, Hyojong. I’ll talk to you later—“

 

_“Wait, don’t you want my advice?”_

 

“Not really, no.”

 

_“Why? Don’t you trust me?”_

 

“Well not really, if we’re being honest. And it’s not like I’m planning to do anything about this so…”

 

_“You’re not?”_

 

“No. He’s like a Greek god or something. And I’m so awkward when it comes to anything close to flirting. Not to mention if I say anything, it’s likely to ruin our friendship and make things weird. We have a good thing going. He’s one of my best friends. I can’t do something to fuck that up.”

 

_“It sounds like you’re just scared.”_

 

“Of course I’m scared. I’m me.”

 

_“Hyung, just listen—“_

 

“Say any of this to Hui and you’re dead.”

 

_“Yeah, I got that but—“_

 

“Bye Hyojong, it’s been real. Oh god why did I say that? Ugh. I’m hanging up now—”

 

_“Hyung?”_

 

 

**_Jinho has ended the call._ **

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best but I really wanted to update! Thanks for all of your comments and kudos~~I love them all :)

 

Yuto hasn’t always been a dancer. When he was younger, still in elementary school and confined to the gender expectations of his parents and society, Yuto was going to be a baseball player. He played catch with his dad in the front yard every Saturday morning and joined a team as soon as he was able to hold a bat properly. He was good at it, too, and played well into high school. But with high school came the questioning of his sexuality and a need to explore both said sexuality and gender expression.

 

He had moved with his family to South Korea by this point and befriended the weird kid next door, who surprisingly agreed to accompany Yuto as he painted his nails and bough makeup and took a dance class (because those were the ‘girliest’ things 15-year-old Yuto had been able to think of at the time). Yuto had excelled in the dance class while Wooseok had struggled to make his growing limbs cooperate with his brain. Wooseok still paints his nails and tries stupid makeup tutorials on YouTube with Yuto, but he’s been by himself in dancing for years.

 

Which, Yuto thinks, is probably a good thing. For a teenager living in a foreign country with a thick accent, socializing is hell, and dance was just another, slightly less vocal way to socialize without being tied at the hip to his quirky, loveable-yet-overbearing tree of a best friend. Through dance, Yuto was able to branch out and meet new people on his own. He met his first boyfriend in dance class and got his first kiss at the end of the year after the recital.

 

Dance has been a growing point for Yuto, both psychologically and physically, and he can’t imagine his life now without it. It’s important to him, important enough for him to pay money to be able to dance in college and go on airplanes to attend workshops in different countries throughout Asia, one of which brings Yuto back to his home country for something other than just quick visits to friends and family.

 

Yuto is back in Japan for dance, one of his greatest passions in life.

 

So why is it so hard to concentrate?

 

He’s in a class, having trouble remembering the combination without copying the movements of the dancers in front of him because of a boy. Wooseok had told him not to get distracted by boys. But when had Yuto ever listened to Wooseok?

 

The boy, Hyunggu, is dancing flawlessly a little bit in front of him. And by the way he perfectly executes the moves; it’s easy to see that Hyunggu is not as distracted as Yuto is. It hurts a little in a way Yuto doesn’t want to think about.

 

Yuto and Hyunggu had re-introduced themselves a few days ago and started hanging out, both in class and outside of it. They start getting lunch after practice and joke with each other during breaks when they know the other is getting too tired or frustrated with the choreography. Hyunggu’s dorm is only a floor above Yuto’s so they start hanging out there after dance practices, too, sharing music and watching cartoons in their rooms or in one of the lounges on each floor. Yuto has found that he really enjoys Hyunggu’s company. He’s smart and sweet and has an excitement about life that is way too contagious.  

 

Yuto thinks that once Hyunggu found out he spoke fluent Korean, speaking to Yuto in his native language makes him less homesick than he had previously pretended not to be. And even though there are plenty of Korean dancers for Hyunggu to hang out with, he more and more often chooses to spend time with Yuto instead.

 

Yuto thinks that Hyunggu reminds him of his friends back in Korea, and hanging out with him and speaking Korean makes him feel a little less homesick, too.

 

Yuto also thinks that Hyunggu is adorable.

 

First of all, Hyunggu is small. At least smaller than Yuto, which is adorable. He has a cute smile and an even cuter laugh, which is also adorable. His eyes are expressive and grow fond whenever they bring up anything about Korea. The way he reacts to things like cute dogs on the street with muted shrieks of absolute joy shows off a sense of innocence and wonder that makes Yuto’s heart melt. Hyunggu is adorable, but Yuto’s growing obsession with the boy in question is not.

 

But in the past week or so, Yuto has started to find things about Hyunggu that are less adorable and more…intriguing? Like how Hyunggu tends to stick the tip of his tongue out when he’s concentrating on something which, ironically, makes things increasingly difficult for Yuto to focus on whatever he’s supposed to be doing. Or when he sweats during practice and Yuto thinks it just makes his tan skin look beautiful and fucking ethereal even though Hyunggu complains about looking gross and having sweat stains on his clothes.

 

The way he’s moving right now is most intriguing. Hyunggu is in the middle of a body roll, using one of his hands to snake its way down his body in sync with the roll of his torso down to his hips. It’s very intriguing, which is why Yuto is staring. Not any other reason. Nope.

 

Unfortunately, Yuto is ripped away from his Hyunggu-induced trance when the girl dancing next to him bumps into him and only sends him a smirk when he starts apologizing for not paying attention. If his face wasn’t already red from the exertion of keeping up with the routine, the blush on his cheeks and the tips of his ears would probably be more prominent, especially when Hyunggu glances back at him and sends him a small grin.

 

Ugh. Fucking adorable. Yuto wants to be set on fire with how much of a useless puddle he’s been reduced to because of an adorable, talented, heart-stoppingly gorgeous boy.

 

Yuto is fucked.

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**June 27, 8:58 pm**

**Yuto**

i’m fucked

 

**Not Yuto**

yuyu!

i love you and miss your face!

 

**Ed**

who added you back to the chat?

 

**Not Yuto**

not important, my yuyu is getting fucked!

 

**yeoyo**

wait, yuto is getting fucked?

right now?

yuto, that’s gross

 

**Yuto**

ohmygod

that was only supposed to go to wooseok

i regret everything

 

**Not Yuto**

wait is this about the boy?

 

**Yuto**

wooseok i will murder you

 

**Not Yuto**

whoops

 

**Ed**

figured you would find urself a beau

tell us about him

is he cute? does he dance? is he Japanese?

 

**Yuto**

no

just no

 

**Wonton**

wait yuto has a boy?

 

**yeoyo**

apparently

and he never bothered to tell us about him

 

**Wonton**

good for you yuto

i’m proud of you

 

**yeoyo**

me too

 

**Ed**

now tell us everything about him

what are his quirks? whats his favorite food?

do you have cute nicknames already?

 

**Yuto**

this is why i never tell you anything

 

**Not Yuto**

sorry for spilling the beans yu

but like

the hyungs are experienced

if you have any questions

actually what is his name, i don’t think you told us??

 

**yeoyo**

wooseok has a point

 

**Wonton**

we are very knowledgeable in the art of luring boys

wait that came out wrong

 

**yeoyo**

*we are knowledgeable in the art of attracting men

 

**Wonton**

thank

 

**Yuto**

ok

i’m not saying there’s a boy

but if there was

how would i get him to potentially like me?

if there was a boy in the first place of course

 

**Ed**

lick him

 

**yeoyo**

i can say with 100% certainty

that you should not lick him

 

**Ed**

and why not?

 

**yeoyo**

because that’s disgusting

 

**Ed**

no?

 

**yeoyo**

yes?

 

**Wonton**

i can’t believe i’m saying this

but i agree with changgu on this one

 

**Ed**

you don’t understand

 

**yeoyo**

then please enlighten us

 

**Yuto**

or don’t

its not that important anymore

 

**Ed**

ok think about it

 

**Yuto**

i’m trying really hard not to

 

**Ed**

yuto is a dancer

at a dance-thing

with a lot of other dancers

 

**Not Yuto**

its called a workshop

 

**Ed**

who are probably all attractive because dancer bods, amirite?

 

**yeoyo**

i mean, you’re not wrong

so far

 

**Ed**

thanks

anyways, yuto and these dancers are all crammed into a studio

all sweaty and pressed together and dancing sexily

 

**Yuto**

what kind of workshop do you think i’m attending?

 

**Ed**

so like hormones and pheromones and whatever the fuck else are all over the place

and theres one boy and one boy only that our yuto likes

but here’s the catch

the boy in question is probably attractive

and all hot and bothered from dancing all sexy and what not

so if yuto wants to get this boy

he’s gotta act fast

 

**Wonton**

and the right course of action is for him to lick him?

 

**Ed**

yes

 

**Wonton**

why?

 

**Ed**

to claim him

 

**Yuto**

what the fuck

 

**Ed**

everybody knows to claim a boy, they have to lick them

it marks your territory

tells all the other boys to back off because my boy is licked

 

**Not Yuto**

are you on something right now?

 

**Ed**

no

it’s a thing! i swear

 

**yeoyo**

so how many people have you licked?

 

**Ed**

oh my

what an intimate question

…..

at least 7

 

**Wonton**

that’s disgusting

 

**Ed**

its natural and beautiful

i think cats do it

 

**yeoyo**

just because cats do it doesn’t mean humans should

 

**Ed**

well its just a suggestion

 

**Not Yuto**

quick segue

what is this guys name?

 

**Yuto**

not telling you

 

**Not Yuto**

why not?

**Yuto**

because i don’t want to

 

**Ed**

are you picturing licking him now?

 

**Yuto**

no hyung that’s gross

i don’t know why i ever talk to you guys about this stuff

 

**Wonton**

only hyojong-hyung is weird about this stuff

 

**Yuto**

then what do you think i should do?

uh

hypothetically

 

**Wonton**

hmmmm idk

 

**Yuto**

wow very helpful

 

**Not Yuto**

it would help if we had some identifying information

like a name, perhaps?

 

**Yuto**

wooseok

i’m not telling you his name

 

**Not Yuto**

why not?

 

**Yuto**

bc then youd probably stalk his SNS or something

 

**Not Yuto**

so he has an online presence??

 

**Yuto**

ohmygod

 

**yeoyo**

have you talked to him?

 

**Yuto**

yes

 

**Not Yuto**

more then ‘hey’?

 

**Yuto**

yes

 

**Not Yuto**

wow

ok

this is like serious now

 

**yeoyo**

is he straight?

 

**Yuto**

oh

i don’t know

 

**yeoyo**

ok then step 1: find out if he’s straight

 

**Yuto**

how do i do that?

 

**yeoyo**

ask him?

 

**Yuto**

i don’t think im comfortable with that

 

**yeoyo**

ok then just flirt with him

see if he flirts back

 

**Not Yuto**

hyung

have you actually seen yuto flirt before?

 

**yeoyo**

ok scratch that

uh

we’ll think of something

 

**Yuto**

i hate all of you

 

**Ed**

trust hyung ok?

the licking thing will work

 

**Yuto**

under no circumstances am i licking him

 

**Ed**

your loss

 

**yeoyo**

thanks for finally admitting to us that your boy is real though

 

**Yuto**

fuck

 

**yeoyo**

just be yourself and everything will work out

 

**Wonton**

have confidence

 

**Ed**

wear a condom

 

**Not Yuto**

you are a beautiful human being

who deserves love and happiness

go get u ur mans

who i would still appreciate knowing the name of

for scientific purposes

 

**Yuto**

please just leave me alone and pretend i never existed

i’m going to stop texting you all now

goodbye forever

 

**Ed**

he’s totally going to lick him

i can feel it

 

**yeoyo**

hyung

with great respect

please shut up

 

**Wonton**

isn’t this the first guy yuto’s liked since the asshat?

 

**Not Yuto**

yeah

kind of a big deal

 

**Ed**

don’t worry about it guys

as much crap as we give him

yuto has a good head on his nicely sculpted shoulders

if he really wants to, he’ll get the boy

because he’s adachi fucking yuto

 

**Wonton**

mostly nicely said for once hyung

 

**Ed**

thanks

 

**Yuto**

thanks hyung

 

**Ed**

╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never thought I'd love a song called "Naughty Boy" but here I am...feeling E'Dawn and Yan An's absence but ot8 killed it! Love the part where they all cram into the baby car and Wooseok didn't fit so they just put him in the trunk. Anyways...here's an update! Enjoy :)

 

♥♥Summer 20XX Playlist♥♥

 

1.[Goodbye (2NE1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w)..................................................3:51

2. [봄날 Spring Day (BTS)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8).........................................4:34

3. [Where You At (NU’EST W)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8-4mBiCSI)...................................3:10

4. [I'll Be Alright/Tonight (Mura Masa)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2EuGFi2bo).....................3:50

5. [Paris, Tokyo (Lupe Fiasco)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2uqGLNm5k)..................................4:30

6. [The Universe (Nomak)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAKPHScin0)........................................5:28

7. [If I Could Tell Her (Ben Platt & Laura Dreyfuss)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7h7c_L_Yp4)...4:08

8. [Michael in the Bathroom (George Salazar)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1P-5Ey4dU)..........4:57

9. [To Find You (Sing Street)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9L4U7Q5ZvI)...................................3:20

10\. [Ticket to the Moon (The Solutions)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNA4jHLwiws)..................4:24

11\. [Mistake (Drug Restaurant)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYWCfpNDg28)...............................3:53

12\. [Stalker (10cm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUk5N48uzQ))................................................4:12

 

 

☆彡

 

 

_My darling Yan An,_

_Words cannot describe how much I miss your angelic presence. You truly add a certain light to my life that distance has made me realize that without which, I am cast into a spiraling darkness._ _Dramatics aside, I miss you a lot and even the sunshine of LA can’t make up for it. Things are going well and I think I’m finally getting the hang of being a nanny. I’m excited to go back to South Korea at the end of the summer but I’m starting to think that I’m going to miss my nieces, even if they’re annoying little shits ninety percent of the time. I hate to admit it, but they are really growing on me. I still want to teach though, and being a nanny all summer has given me a lot of motivation to look seriously at jobs when I get back to Korea. Be thankful you're still in school and have a little bit more time to figure shit out; adulting is not all it's cracked up to be. Being in America after so long is weird, too. I think the last time I was here after we moved to Korea was my sister's wedding. I find myself reminiscing about who I was the last time I was here, but also cringing a lot because I was a weird pre-teen who listened to too much punk rock. I like to think my music taste has evolved since then, but it was really hard to pick songs I thought everyone would enjoy._ _I couldn’t help but add the “Stalker” song in light of your current situation. Please don’t hate me._

_Lots of love,_

_Hongseokie-hyung_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Inspired by [Hongseok's version of "Stalker" by 10cm on Pentagon Maker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uzbpjslIc0)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, get ready for a bit of a rant.....I was holding off on posting for a while because of Cube being a stupid piece of shit and I thought this chapter might be a little ill-timed but I'm posing it anyways (I was also out of the country but that's another story). I don't know what the fuck is happening with Cube and E'dawn and Hyuna but I am determined to finish this fic. I can only hope for the best that Cube gets their shit together and realizes that they're being dumb butts to arguably two of the most amazing artists in their label (I actually love a lot of Cube groups and they're all amazing, though their I still think their label is shit if you can't tell) and we can return to ot10 whenever our angel Yan An is well and rested. 
> 
> Anyway, Hyuna is a goddess and I love her a lot but this fic is for huidawn so she has to go~sorry!

 

The first thing Hwitaek feels is relief. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off of his shoulders and chest and for the first time in a long time, he feels light and unburdened and he takes a deep breath. He feels relief, which immediately makes him feel guilty because he shouldn’t be relieved about this. He should be sad or angry or distressed or _anything_ but relieved.

 

He should get down on his knees and fucking beg because Hyuna just said she wants to break up. Hyuna, his girlfriend of almost five years, brilliant and funny and gorgeous, wants to break up and the only thing Hwitaek can feel is relief.

 

He must be crazy.

 

“Stop overthinking, Hwitaek-ah. You look constipated.”

 

Hwitaek looks unblinkingly at Hyuna, who’s looking carefully back at him. She has a kind of sad smile on her face, a face Hwitaek knows almost better than his own, but everywhere he looks, he can’t find a trace of regret. She looks thoughtful, maybe a little concerned about how Hwitaek might react, but she’s hiding determination in her eyes and sincerity on her lips.

 

Hyuna wants to break up with him.

 

Nausea overtakes him and Hwitaek feels his heartbeat pick up in speed and intensity. He feels physically sick and he’s starting to get dizzy, especially when thoughts about the future start attacking his brain.

 

He’s going to be single now. He’s going to have to get his own apartment because he’s been living with Hyuna for the past two years. He’s going to have to tell his friends and his family. He might have to date other people and kiss them and intimate with them. Hwitaek has only ever had Hyuna, she was his first everything and Hwitaek foolishly thought he was going to have her forever. Well, until recently, anyways.

 

Recently, things have been off. Maybe the past few months, or so. They’d been distant, rarely initiating sex and becoming so wrapped up in their own lives that things between them had become stale. He knew this was coming, too, because they had talked about it only two months ago. Two months ago he sat down with Hyuna and they talked about their relationship and they both agreed that they needed to make changes to make it work.

 

And Hwitaek had tried, he really did. At first. But then he began to realize that his heart wasn’t really in it anymore. And then maybe somewhere in his brain he started to rationalize his feelings by focusing on his long-standing but secret attraction to men as a reason why he didn’t love Hyuna anymore. It wasn't true, though. There's no way a couple of cute waiters could make Hwitaek stop loving girlfriend, but he was young when they started dating. Young and still in college and everything was different. He's a different person than he was almost five years ago, and he's pretty sure that has more to do with it than anything else. 

 

This sucks. Everything about this sucks, especially the way Hyuna is still looking at Hwitaek and is obviously deciding whether she should reach out to him to comfort him and keep her distance because things might be awkward now. They’re not really, Hwitaek is just an idiot who fell out of love with arguably the best woman in the universe.

 

“Hwitaek-ah? Are you panicking?” she asks, apparently putting awkwardness aside to grab one of Hwitaek’s hands. Her hands are warm.

 

Hwitaek just nods in response, not trusting himself to speak without possibly vomiting or bursting into tears because a world without Hyuna in it is suddenly very scary and suddenly very real.

 

So they sit there for a while on a couch they bought together at a second-hand store a year ago, holding hands while Hwitaek tries to quell down his panic and Hyuna watches on.

 

“I’m sorry Hui, it’s just—”

 

“Noona, don’t apologize.” Hwitaek’s voice sounds weird and strained, but he means it. He means it so, so much. “You don’t have to apologize for breaking up with someone you don’t love anymore.”

 

He could have said that better. “I mean—”

 

“I still love you Hwitaek-ah. I spent almost five years loving you, and I’m going to keep loving you until we’re both old and wrinkly and we’ll reminisce about the good old days with all the other crotchety residents of our retirement home. You know that, right?”

 

“Of course, I just meant—”

 

“I know what you meant.”

 

“Okay. I’m just…I don’t know.”

 

“Scared? Well me too. I haven’t done this single thing in a long time either.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I keep thinking about what I’m going to tell my grandma.”

 

“I think I’m bisexual.”

 

It’s the first time Hwitaek has said those words. He doesn’t know why he just blurted them out when Hyuna is talking about her grandma, but Hwitaek thinks there’s probably worse times to come out to your girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. He winces.

 

“Oh.” Something in Hyuna’s expressing changes. She looks softer, a little less concerned, almost happy.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“That’s great.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Definitely. Thanks for telling me,” she says pulling Hwitaek in for a hug.

 

The thing is Hyuna is so understanding, has always been. She sometimes even knows how Hwitaek is feeling before he knows it himself. He finds himself wondering if she’d known about this, too.

 

He starts to calm down little by little, starts to accept more and more what he thought was probably going to happen soon anyways. And Hyuna just sits there, calm as ever, unwavering and strong. Hwitaek is really going to miss her.

 

“Want to watch a movie?” she asks after what seems like an eternity has past. Hwitaek makes a face and Hyuna just rolls her eyes.

 

“Let’s just watch a movie tonight and worry about everything else tomorrow, okay?” she says, already getting up to grab her laptop and pick a movie at random from their Netflix. Ugh, _their_ Netflix. Just another thing Hwitaek is going to have to figure out now that he’s going to be single and totally independent and—

 

Hyuna sees him over thinking again and flicks him gently on the forehead.

 

“I promise it will all work out. You can’t get rid of me that easily, Hwitaek-ah, there’s no way you’re going to go through this alone.”

 

As they settle on the couch to watch the movie, far enough away from each other so that they’re not touching like they usually do during movies, Hwitaek thinks that this is possibly the most amicable break-up he’s ever going to experience in his life.

 


	19. Chapter 19

 

**Private Chat: uh (wooseokie, shinwonnie)**

**July 2, 10:31 am**

 

**shinwonnie**

do you ever feel stuck?

 

**wooseokie**

stuck?

 

**shinwonnie**

like stuck in one spot

watching the world go by and people grow up and stuff

and ur just stuck?

in the same spot, at the same age?

 

**wooseokie**

are you ok hyung?

 

**shinwonnie**

ye

mostly

 

**wooseokie**

no offense but like

is this still about the modeling thing?

 

**shinwonnie**

kind of

like sometimes i think i’m over it and then

i actually picture telling my parents about it

and i can tell i’m really not over it

plus

i think its also just a me thing

 

**wooseokie**

what do you mean?

 

**shinwonnie**

i think i stopped growing like mentally when i was 12

i’m immature, i can’t follow through on shit

i messed up this huge opportunity because i can’t even focus

 

**wooseokie**

hyung

ples just listen

yeah ur immature sometimes but like so is everyone?

we’re young, still figuring stuff out

even hyojong-hyung odesn’t have his shit together

 

**shinwonnie**

but that’s just hyojong

 

**wooseokie**

shhhh

im trying to be supportive and ur kind of ruining it

 

**shinwonnie**

sorry

 

**wooseokie**

where are you right now?

 

**shinwonnie**

ugh

i’m lying on ur floor

in a sad little pile

 

**wooseokie**

ok

i’m still at work

will you be ok or do you need me to take off?

 

**shinwonnie**

don’t take off work bc of me

i’m not worth it

 

**wooseokie**

you are worth it tho!

that’s what ive been tryingto tell u for the past motnh hyung!

so what if it didn’t work out?

i know it was something you really wanted to do

but you can’t keep wallowing and stuff

its not like you and its not going to make anything better

the only thing that will make it better is yoyu

but you actually have to go out nd do something aobut it

 

**shinwonnie**

wow

are you actually calling me out on my shit jung wooseok?

 

**wooseokie**

omg hyung plz don b mad

 

**shinwonnie**

not mad

just surprised

 

**wooseokie**

omg i think i had too much caffeine

i’m feeling weirdly sugary and buzzed rn

sorry for getting worked up

i blame it on the caffeine

 

**shinwonnie**

its ok wooseok

 

**wooseokie**

and its not just you

 

**shinwonnie**

what?

 

**wooseokie**

who feels stuck sometimes

sometimes

i just feel like this weird loser

who lives vicariously through his friends

cuz the biggest accomplishment i have is making the honor roll is middle school

 

**shinwonnie**

you have a lot of accomplishments seokie

like having me as a friend

 

**wooseokie**

oh my god

 

**shinwonnie**

ok

this probably sounds meaner than it intends to

but do you want to do better?

 

**wooseokie**

not mean at all

and duh

obviously

i want to like

go out and do something

maybe not like leave the country like yuto or changgu-hyung

but just something

i’m kinda boring

just school and work

nothing else

 

**shinwonnie**

ok

me too

the be better thing

 

**wooseokie**

good!

uh

how do we do that?

 

**shinwonnie**

idk?

set goals?

 

**wooseokie**

that sounds like a lot of work

 

**shinwonnie**

it does

hmm

 

**wooseokie**

but maybe if we do it together, it mght be good?

 

**shinwonnie**

ok

so like

we can work on being better together?

 

**wooseokie**

yeah

i think i’d like that

 

**shinwonnie**

surprisingly me too

i think i’m ready

 

**wooseokie**

my boss says a good start to better

would be not texting while i’m on the clock lol

 

**shinwonnie**

your boss?

 

**wooseokie**

she asked me what i was doing when i should be working

i told her i was giving life advice to a friend

 

**shinwonnie**

inspiring

 

**wooseokie**

but i should probably stop texting

she’s starting to look pissed

 

**shinwonnie**

ok seok, don’t get fired

 

**wooseokie**

working on it

 

**shinwonnie**

haha

thank you

seokie-poo

 

**wooseokie**

anyting 4 u

hyungaroo

****


	20. Chapter 20

 

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**July 3, 8:26 pm**

 

**yeoyo**

guys

forget crazy Chinese guys

i think the real cause of my death here will be elevators

 

**Wonton**

that’s actually one of my biggest fears

like after animals and heights and the dark

falling in an elevator

or like falling down an emty elevator shaft

 

**Yuto**

did something happen?

are u ok?

 

**yeoyo**

i’m fine mostly

a little bruised

 

**Wonton**

omg did you actually get in an elevator accident???

did it fall??

 

**yeoyo**

kind of

but i didn’t fall

its more like i got squished in the doors

 

**Yuto**

you got

squished

in the doors?

 

**yeoyo**

the elevator doors

several times

i thought i had enough time to make it thru

but they close on me everytime

 

**Not Yuto**

this is priceless

 

**yeoyo**

don’t mock my pain

 

**Yuto**

but how can we not?

this is amazing

 

**Ed**

squiiiiiiiiish

o wait that last one is yuto

as a wee babe

what a squishy baby

 

**Not Yuto**

its ok i got u

look how cute we are omg

 

**Wonton**

i feel left out

i am genetically unable to look cute in pictures

i’m too good looking :///

 

**Ed**

false

2 squishy babes

(人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

 

**Wonton**

i regret saying anything

 

**yeoyo**

how old are some of those pics hyung?

do you like stockpile old embarrassing pictures of all of us???

 

**Ed**

yes

yes i do

 

**Yuto**

wooseok

this is war

wait no

noooooo

 

**Not Yuto**

uh

who’s that?

 

**Yuto**

no one

goodbye

forever

 

**Not Yuto**

ADACHI YUTO WHO IS THAT CUTIE??????

ANSWER MEE

 

**Yuto**

what who

i don’t know her

delete this

delete my life

pls

 

**Not Yuto**

no YUTO!

IS THIS UR MYSTERIOUS BOI?

HE’S FUCKING ADORABLE

 

**Ed**

well at least Yuto only accidentally sends pics of his crush to the gc

and doesn’t get squished by elevators doors like changgu

 

**yeoyo**

whyyyyyyyyyy

 

**Ed**

send me a pic next time it happens

i'll add it to my collection

 

 

☆彡

**Private Chat: (woo)seok my (yu)toes (woo, yu)**

**July 3, 11:35 pm**

**woo**

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

yuto

 

**yu**

i can’t come to the phone right now

i’m dying from embarrassment

 

**woo**

is that your boy?

 

**yu**

ughhh

 

**woo**

sorry, ur crush?

cuz he’s probably more than a boy

a man

a cute, cuddly-looking man

who can dance

and who posed for a picture that you took

or you got it from his SNS or something

which would be creepy but i’m not judging

i’m kinda judging but i’m your best friend

so its legally my job to judge a little bit

 

**yu**

i didn’t save it from his sns

he was crouching there and asked me to take his picture

so i did

 

**woo**

you sent it to him?

 

**yu**

yes

 

**woo**

so you have his number?

 

**yu**

...

yes

 

**woo**

ok

but you still have the pic in your phone?

 

**yu**

so?

 

**woo**

i’m proud of you yuto

 

**yu**

thanks for thinking so highly of my photography skills

 

**woo**

not that you dumb

for putting yourself out there

i know you were hesitant at first

but he looks cute

i know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover

but he looks nice too

 

**yu**

he is

he really is

but nothing happened, i swear

we're just friends

you would be the first to know

if anything did happen, i mean

 

**woo**

good

i would expect nothing less

i do have a question tho

 

**yu**

ok.....

 

**woo**

how many more pics do you have of him?

and what was his name again???

is he your boyfriend yet???????

most importantly, did you lick him???????????

 

**yu**

goodbye

 


	21. Chapter 21

 

♥♥Summer 20XX Playlist♥♥

 

1.[Goodbye (2NE1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w)..................................................3:51

2. [봄날 Spring Day (BTS)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8).........................................4:34

3. [Where You At (NU’EST W)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8-4mBiCSI)...................................3:10

4. [I'll Be Alright/Tonight (Mura Masa)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2EuGFi2bo).....................3:50

5. [Paris, Tokyo (Lupe Fiasco)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2uqGLNm5k)..................................4:30

6. [The Universe (Nomak)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAKPHScin0)........................................5:28

7. [If I Could Tell Her (Ben Platt & Laura Dreyfuss)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7h7c_L_Yp4)...4:08

8. [Michael in the Bathroom (George Salazar)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1P-5Ey4dU)..........4:57

9. [To Find You (Sing Street)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9L4U7Q5ZvI)...................................3:20

10. [Ticket to the Moon (The Solutions)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNA4jHLwiws)..................4:24

11. [Mistake (Drug Restaurant)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYWCfpNDg28)...............................3:53

12. [Stalker (10cm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUk5N48uzQ)).................................................4:12

13\. [What If (Tokio Hotel)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIDAzXoliA&index=25&list=PLO8wlEguYSkX0K7kTz1keK22Ep7CRT_9f).......................................3:32

14\. [Fit Me (Vanilla Acoustic)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srQs3BL7csg&list=PLO8wlEguYSkX0K7kTz1keK22Ep7CRT_9f&index=38)..................................3:11

15\. [what U Need (Lay)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCMdn61JMd4&index=40&list=PLO8wlEguYSkX0K7kTz1keK22Ep7CRT_9f)...........................................3:55

 

 

☆彡

 

 

_Hui-hyung,_

_Why am I the last to get the playlist? I’ve had to wait a whole month and I’m just now getting to add my amazing music taste. I also want to say that this is a fucking awful playlist. It doesn’t have flow and you can definitely tell it was just a bunch of different people with completely different tastes in music throwing whatever songs they felt like on a playlist. Especially Jinho-hyung. It’s shit. Shanghai is also shit, but at least it’s probably better than staying in Seoul all summer by myself. How’s that going?_

_Everything here is fine, I guess. My cousins are annoying and my aunt and uncle are kind of annoying, but at least I haven’t seen that annoying Korean kid in a while. Small mercies. I’m actually looking forward to the school year, as much as I hate to admit it, because at least then I will have an apartment by myself and I won’t have to fight literal children for my own food anymore. And I guess I’ll get to see you, too. Ugh I’m turning into a sap. Don’t add any dumb songs to the playlist. Give Hyuna-noona my love._

_Yan An_

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the wait! This chapter took on a mind of its own and I'm not sure I love how it turned out, but I'm giving it to you anyways. Enjoy :)

**Private Chat: jinhongseok (jinjin, seokseok)**

**July 6, 6:59 pm**

**seokseok**

finally got a day off

demon-free

so i’m going to the beach :D

 

**jinjin**

ughhh

that looks amazing

i envy you

but like

don’t you still live with your sister?

 

**seokseok**

yeah of course

 

**jinjin**

so you still have to be with your nieces don’t you?

even on your days off?

 

**seokseok**

only a little

but i spent the whole day out

 

**jinjin**

by yourself?

 

**seokseok**

yes and its marvelous

i haven’t had any time to myself since before i left korea

i miss it

almost as much

 

**jinjin**

what are you planning on doing?

oh sorry i didn’t think you were in the middle of a thought

what were you going to say?

 

**seokseok**

its ok

i was just going to say i miss Korean food

**jinjin**

your sister doesn’t make any?

 

**seokseok**

she makes a little

not every day though

 

**jinjin**

oh ok

you could make some, you know

 

**seokseok**

:P

anyways

i was planning on going to the beach

walking around

maybe taking some pictures

 

**jinjin**

take anything cool?

 

**seokseok**

that was from this morning

it was actually hella cold

 

**jinjin**

!!!!

still…the beach

i would kill to visit the beach

i’m in fucking Busan of all places

i should be able to go to the beach at least once

 

**seokseok**

practice?

 

**jinjin**

yes

i’m on my way there now

 

**seokseok**

omg

 

**jinjin**

??

 

**seokseok**

nothing

 

**jinjin**

????????

 

**seokseok**

just

you’re cute

 

**jinjin**

hahhhhsh

no

 

**seokseok**

whatever you say :)

 

**jinjin**

hhhhhhnnnnngggggg

 

**seokseok**

see? cute

 

**jinjin**

i’m not cute!

i’m in my mid-twenties!

i’m very not cute!

 

**seokseok**

ya, sure ok

this pic tells me otherwise

see? cute

 

**jinjin**

wow

that pic is so old

like christmas at least 3 years ago?

 

**seokseok**

i know lol

 

**jinjin**

we look like babies

 

**seokseok**

cute babies

 

**jinjin**

you just had this on your phone?

 

**seokseok**

yeah, why?

 

**jinjin**

that’s just…strange

its from years ago

 

**seokseok**

why is it strange?

i like to look at it from time to time

 

**jinjin**

why?

 

**seokseok**

cuz i like it and i think we look cute

and sometimes i miss you

 

**jinjin**

what?

 

**seokseok**

oh fuck

 

**jinjin**

hongseok?

 

**seokseok**

shit uh

i don’t know where i am

 

**jinjin**

are you ok?

 

**seokseok**

no

omg i literally don’t know where i am

how did i get lost so quickly?

 

**jinjin**

see any landmarks?

 

**seokseok**

uh there’s some shops but that doesn’t really help

and my phone battery is gonna die

fuck

how did i not notice i’m such an idiot

its getting dark too

 

**jinjin**

shit

stay calm

go towards the shops and ask for directions?

 

**seokseok**

ok im going

fuck

sorry hyung

i g2g my phone is dyi

 

**jinjin**

let me know when you get back safe

hongseok?

hongseok???

☆彡

 

 

As soon as Hongseok stops panicking and begs the nice souvenir shop man to let him make a phone call on the land line, he calls his sister and asks her to pick him up. He feels so stupid. He’s a grown-ass, college-educated man and he was so distracted by texting his friend that he paid zero attention to where he was going, the time, the fact that his phone was dying, and that he should have started heading home an hour ago. But such is life, Hongseok guesses, as he waits miserably outside the shop for his sister. Such is life when you’re a lovesick idiot like Yang Hongseok.

 

It takes about a half an hour for his sister to show up in her mini-van and Hongseok hangs his head in shame even though his sister is smiling at him from the driver’s seat. Hongseok looks through the rear view mirror and is immediately warmed by the sight of all three of his nieces fast asleep. Apparently his sister had to take all of the kids with her since her husband was on duty at the hospital. He feels guilty, especially since he made his sister drag her kids out past their bedtimes, but they look so deceptively peaceful and cute right now that Hongseok smiles a little to himself.

 

It also makes something under his ribs ache because this is kind of what Hongseok wants. Well not _this_ exactly and not right now. But sometime in the future, maybe.

 

A family, a husband, maybe a kid or two. A house. A job in or around Seoul. He knows he’s still young and has a lot of time to make that happen, but his sister isn’t really that much older than him and she has all of it already. Sure, he knows she had to work her butt off to get through nursing school and she was lucky to meet her husband and to get jobs at the same hospital as him, too. Things started out rough for her, but they got easier. Hongseok hopes it gets easier for him, too.

 

It’s infuriating going from interview to interview, plastering a smile on his face when they tell him they want someone with more experience. He _has_ experience, just not the kind that they’re looking for. And maybe he didn’t go to the best school, but he has the same degree as everybody else applying for the same damn job he is yet they get picked over him every single time.

 

His sister must hear him stewing because she reaches over and puts her hand over his where it rests in his lap. She gives his hand a squeeze.

 

“Don’t worry so much.”

 

“Can’t help it.”

 

She sighs. It’s a topic they talk about a lot, because as much as Hongseok is pressuring himself to find a good teaching job, his parents are pressuring him even more. His sister knows this and has told them to back off several times, but they never listen. Hongseok knows they just want the best for him, but he wishes they would find a different way to show their son that they want him to do well.

 

“You ever think about staying here to teach?”

 

He has thought about it, actually a lot. But there’s something that holds him back.

 

Yeah, he was raised in the US, but he fell in love with South Korea. He fell in love _in_ South Korea and this stupid summer is making it all the more obvious how much he misses it, how much he misses _him_.

 

He thought it would be good, at first, putting some space between himself and Jinho because as much as he flirted and hinted and tried, Jinho never gave him anything back. And maybe Hongseok should have been more direct, actually asked him on a date or just straight up kissed him when he was acting cute or singing or talking about how stupid the most recent school was for not seeing how amazing someone like Hongseok could be as a teacher. But he wasn’t more direct because he thought he and Jinho were friends, were close and knew each other so well that if Jinho picked up on all of the signals Hongseok was throwing his way, he just ignored them because he didn’t want it too.

 

So the summer was supposed to distance them, give Hongseok space so he could think and hopefully get over Jo Jinho. It wasn’t working so far and that on top of everything else just make Hongseok feel like a sad, miserable piece of shit.

 

Hongsoek shakes his head in response to his sister’s question. “Nah, I don’t think I could do that.”

 

She takes her eyes off the road for a split second to give her brother a grin. “I get it. Seoul is your home, now.”

 

He nods, glancing out the window at the buildings rushing by, trying and failing not to think about how nothing in his life is going like he wants it to.

 

“Just give it time, Seok. I know things will work out.”

 

Hongseok wishes he could trust his sister. As it is, Hongseok follows the lead of his nieces and leans his head back on his headrest to let the sound of LA traffic lull him into a shallow sleep.

 


	23. Chapter 23

 

**Group Chat: PentaGONE (Jini, HuiHui, Seoki, Yawnni, KiKi)**

**July 9, 12:07 pm**

**Yawnni**

yo

this chat is dead

 

**Seoki**

omg

it must really be dead if yan an is the one to point it out

 

**KiKi**

HYUNGS!!!!!

HI!

i love and miss you all omg

 

**Yawnni**

hello hyunggu

entertain me

pls

i’m bored out of my mind

 

**KiKi**

oh no hyung why?

 

**Yawnni**

i’m at work

 

**Seoki**

slow day?

 

**Yawnni**

not really

just people are more incompetent today than usual

 

**KiKi**

poor yannie hyung :/

fighting!

 

**HuiHui**

you can do it yan an!

 

**Seoki**

wow hui

what’s up?

 

**HuiHui**

oh

nothing really

 

**Seoki**

oh

work is good?

 

**HuiHui**

yeah

 

**Jini**

wow I saw messages from yan an AND hui

so i had to check it out

 

**Yawnni**

why is everyone so surprised when i message the group chat?

 

**Jini**

bc it never happens?

and hui!!

you’ve been quiet lately

 

**HuiHui**

have i?

 

**Seoki**

yeah

its been like a week since ur last check-in

 

**HuiHui**

oh sorry

things have been busy

 

**Jini**

anything wrong?

 

**HuiHui**

no?

why would something be wrong?

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Group Chat: Parents <3 (hyunggu, jinho-hyung, hongseok-hyung)**

**July 9, 1:19 pm**

 

 

**jinho-hyung**

is it just me or is hui being super shady

 

**hyunggu**

?????

 

**jinho-hyung**

he was being all weird and mysterious

and now he’s dodging all of our questions

 

**hongseok-hyung**

i’ve noticed that and he won’t talk to me about it

 

**hyunggu**

hmmmm

i guess he’s been kinda quiet lately

idk

 

**jinho-hyung**

hyunggu

i think you should try talking to him

 

**hyunggu**

me??? are you sure?

 

**hongseok-hyung**

yeah, i think hui will open up to you

**hyunggu**

hmmm idk

i usually talk to hyung a lot

but he doesn’t really talk about stuff that’s troubling him

and i’ve been so busy that we haven’t really talked 1 on 1 in a while

 

**hongseok-hyung**

but hui adores you hyunggu

and if you ask him about it, he might tell you

 

**jinho-hyung**

and then you can tell us

 

**hyunggu**

idk hyungs

if he hasn’t talked about it with either of you

i don’t think he will talk to me about it

but i can try if you want

 

**jinho-hyung**

yes please

i worry about him

 

**hyunggu**

ok, i’ll try

 

**hongseok-hyung**

thanks hyunggu <333

 

                                  

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: HYUNG/GOO-AH <33 (hyung, goo-ah)**

**July 9, 7:25 pm**

 

**goo-ah**

hey hyung??

**hyung**

whats up?

 

**goo-ah**

are you ok?

 

**hyung**

???

 

**goo-ah**

just….

you’ve been kind of distant lately

i think the other hyungs are worried

 

**hyung**

did jinho-hyung put you up to this?

 

**goo-ah**

uhhhh

 

**hyung**

kang hyunggu

 

**goo-ah**

well technically not just jinho-hyung…..

 

**hyung**

just don’t worry about it

 

**goo-ah**

hyung did i overstep? i’m sorry if i did

 

**hyung**

goo, you didn’t do anything

i just

don’t feel like talking about it yet

 

**goo-ah**

so something is wrong?

can i help???

 

**hyung**

kinda

its something i have to process by myself first

and i’ll tell you and the others when i’m ready

ok?

i promise

 

**goo-ah**

ok i trust you

as long as you’re safe i trust you

 

**hyung**

yes i’m safe

 

**goo-ah**

and eating healthy?

drinking plenty of water??

 

**hyung**

yes

 

**goo-ah**

good

 

**hyung**

what have i done to deserve you?

 

**goo-ah**

not enough :)

 

**hyung**

thanks for checking in

 

**goo-ah**

anytime

and if you want to talk i promise not to tell the hyungs

 

**hyung**

deal

and if you want to talk, i’m here too

 

**goo-ah**

talk about what?

 

**hyung**

the others might be fooled

but i know you’ve been homesick

its ok

you can have fun and still miss home

i know it gets lonely without everybody around

 

**goo-ah**

thanks hyung

i think i needed to hear that

 

**hyung**

and if there’s any developments with that boy from your instagram

you can tell me that too

 

**goo-ah**

omg hyung

what are you talking about??

 

**hyung**

 

**goo-ah**

wow you’ve got it wrong hyung

we’re friends

just friends

we were hanging out after practice

a friendly hang out

there were tons of people there

like a lot

i just wanted documentation of the hang out and he was the closest one to me

so i just grabbed him when they started taking pictures

and he’s my friend

so

 

**hyung**

i did not raise you to be a liar

 

**goo-ah**

wow

you’re starting to sound like jinho-hyung

or hongseok-hyung

 

**hyung**

oh god

what’s happening to me??

hyunggu!

run away!!

its not too late for you!

you can make it out alive!!!

 

**goo-ah**

ur so dramatic

**hyung**

nooooooooooo

save yourself!!

and that instagram guy!

 

**goo-ah**

sorry hyung i have to go

gotta water my feet

 

**hyung**

hyunggooooooo!!!

 

**goo-ah**

bye hyung

tell noona i said hi :D

 

**hyung**

yeah

i’ll text you later goo

 

**goo-ah**

bye hyung <3

 

 

☆彡

**Private Chat: My Dumpling (seok-hyung, yan)**

**July 9, 10:32 pm**

 

**yan**

hyung

i know its probably crazy early for you rn

but you are the worst

i message you for entertainment

and nobody delivers

what are you even for?

 

**seok-hyung**

sorry yannie

we were talking about hui

and then something came up with the girls

 

**yan**

what about hui-hyung?

and who with?

jinho-hyung?

 

**seok-hyung**

uh

yeah

and kino

we think he's hiding something

 

**yan**

.......

i feel so betrayed

 

**seok-hyung**

sorry yan

 

**yan**

just for this

i'm telling jinho-hyung about the dreams

 

**seok-hyung**

i will murder you

 

**yan**

you guys made a plan without me!!!!

me!

i live for plans

 

**seok-hyung**

i'll let you in on the plan if you promise not to tell jinho-hyung

 

**yan**

hmmm

idk

 

**seok-hyung**

pls

i'm so tired

 

**yan**

as long as you promise not to plan anything else without me

 

**seok-hyung**

deal

 

**yan**

ok deal

 

**seok-hyung**

i'll let you know about the plan soon

but first i sleep

 

**yan**

ok hyung

sweet dreams ;)

 

**seok-hyung**

this is why we told kino the plan and not you

 

**yan**

;)))))

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yan An is going to be real mad when he finds out what their "plan" was...


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D

 

**Private Chat: uh (wooseokie, shinwonnie)**

**July 10, 3:12 pm**

 

**shinwonnie**

wooseok

i thout of a goal

 

**wooseokie**

for you?

what is it?

 

**shinwonnie**

yes for me

i want to get a job

 

**wooseokie**

oh

that’s good hyung!

 

**shinwonnie**

i know its not a lot

but

i know i can’t keep mooching off of you forever

even though you’re my dongsaeng and i’ve done so much for you since i’ve known you

and you should be like, eternally grateful to be in my presence but

 

**wooseokie**

wow ok

you need to stop

where were you thinking?

 

**shinwonnie**

uh

i don’t want to tell you yet

 

**wooseokie**

why not?

 

**shinwonnie**

i have an interview there in like 10 minutes lol

 

**wooseokie**

that’s good!!!

 

**shinwonnie**

i know

but i’m like super nervous???

 

**wooseokie**

don’t be hyung

you’re super qualified

 

**shinwonnie**

you don’t even know what i’m applying for

 

**wooseokie**

don’t care

i know you’ll do great

 

**shinwonnie**

thanks

i need your confidence

 

**wooseokie**

have it all hyung

٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

 

**shinwonnie**

you need to stop hanging out with hyojong omg

 

 

☆彡

 

 

“No way, you watch _Terrace House_?”

 

Yuto’s deep voice coming from behind him makes Hyunggu jump in his seat. Yuto grins when Hyunggu clutches at his heart and manages to keep a string of Korean curse words at bay.

 

Hyunggu pauses the episode he was watching while Yuto makes himself comfortable in the chair beside him, apparently on board to binge the rest of the season in the dorm’s common room; Yuto hadn’t yet been able to catch up with the newest season, and Hyunggu wants to catch up again before the next season is released.

 

“Why’re you watching it out here?” he asks after he arranges his limbs in the chair.

 

Well. Hyunggu is watching Netflix in the dorm lounge because his roommate is hooking up with one of the girls from the ballet track, but he doubts Yuto wants to hear that, so he just shrugs.

 

“I wanted a change of scene,” he says instead.

 

Yuto looks at the dingy lounge around them, with its stained off-white walls and faded blue furniture. “If you want a change of scene, you can just go to my room,” he says.

 

Hyunggu doubts that the other boy meant anything by it, he’s probably just being nice, but the thought of spending time with Yuto in his dorm room brings a blush to his cheeks. Lately, a lot of things the other boy does makes Hyunggu blush. Huh.

 

Interestingly enough, as soon as Yuto says that, the tips of his ears turn violently red.

 

“I—I mean, just its quiet there and it doesn’t smell like feet.”

 

Hyunggu grins. “Okay.”

 

“Okay?” Yuto looks surprised.

 

“Yeah, if you’re still offering.”

 

“Of course, yeah. Let’s go.”

 

Ten minutes later, Hyunggu is sitting next to Yuto in his suite. Somehow, Yuto got a better room than Hyunggu’s cramped double. Sure, Yuto has three roommates where Hyunggu only has one, but Yuto gets a cool little living room, complete with couch and coffee table. All of Yuto’s roommates are out, though, so they have the whole place to themselves. They set up Hyunggu’s laptop on the coffee table and huddle together on the couch because even Yuto’s AC is amazing and it’s actually a little chilly.

 

They’ve been hanging out a lot more in the past week or so, and watching Netflix together isn’t anything new. (Apparently one of Yuto’s friends is a huge fan of _A Series of Unfortunate Events_ but Yuto doesn’t have Netflix so he asked Hyunggu if he could mooch off of his account while he Skyped his friend so that could watch the show together. Hyunggu had let him, had even sat in the same room with him while he watched even though he didn’t actually watch the show with him. He was surprised when Yuto spoke Korean to the friend through Skype, and it made him smile to hear their banter in his native tongue.) But lately Hyunggu has been having _feelings_.

 

It’s not all bad; Hyunggu truly enjoys spending time with Yuto, practicing with him, finding new places to eat with him. But it’s a little inconvenient when every time Yuto so much as smiles at Hyunggu he feels like dying a little inside. Or like right now. Yuto is staring at the screen, his eyes wide as he watches Shion fumble through his confession to Tsubasa. Hyunggu has seen this bit a million times, and enjoys watching as Yuto’s mouth falls open in shock. Hyunggu can’t help but grin because Yuto looks so cute.

 

He forces himself to look back at the screen when the intro starts and tries to look like he’s enjoying himself but he’s still not paying attention to the show. He’s more focused on how warm Yuto’s thigh is against his own, on the clean scent of Yuto’s shampoo. Hyunggu finds himself thinking he could really, really get used to this. To spending lazy evenings watching TV, cuddled up close to a warm body, preferably Yuto’s, so that he can watch him grin and hear him giggle happily when something cute happens.

 

Hyunggu used to have something like this, a while ago. He used to have a boyfriend he could lounge around with or explore the city with, and it had been fun. Hyunggu liked having a boyfriend when he had one and he doesn’t realize how much he missed it until right now, when he’s curled up next to Yuto on his couch.

 

“It reminds me of my ex,” Hyunggu mumbles with a sigh, daring to lean a little closer to Yuto and put his head on his shoulder as he says it, soft enough so that he doesn’t think Yuto can hear him.

 

But Yuto’s soft “What?” makes him inwardly curse. Guess he wasn’t as quiet as he thought he was.

 

Hyunggu panics and points at the screen. “Uh, Shion! He reminds me a little of my ex.”

 

Which is kind of true. His ex was tall and pretty, kind and respectful. Their break-up about a year ago was mutual, and he still talks to him sometimes. Hyunggu is caught up in thoughts of his ex that he doesn’t notice Yuto going stiff next to him.

 

When he looks over, he notices Yuto sitting ramrod straight, eyes kind of glazed over and that’s when it hits him he just kind of accidentally came out to Yuto. Whoops.

 

Hyunggu is only really out with his family and his college friends back in Korea. It’s not like it’s something he hides, but he’s learned that it’s generally easier to let people assume whatever they want about him. It’s not the best but it usually let’s Hyunggu fly under the radar and that’s all he wants anyways.

 

It never crossed his mind that Yuto might have a problem with him being gay because they’ve gotten so close in the past couple of weeks. 

 

He peeks over at Yuto again, his entire body now completely on edge, and starts to formulate a plan of how to fix this. But Yuto beats him to the punch.

 

“You’re gay?” he questions, looking at Hyunggu curiously. “Or—or like bi or pan? Sorry I don’t mean to assume, b-but you like men?”

 

Hyunggu wants to punch a wall because even as Yuto is probably thinking of a hundred different ways to run away right now, he looks adorable. Flushed cheeks, an intense look in his eyes, and a piece of hair sticking up on the back of his head. 

 

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m gay. I like men, is that—”

 

“W-wow, me too. Ha. Weird. We should go out.”

 

That’s not what Hyunggu was expecting.

 

Trying to remain calm but internally freaking out, Hyunggu turns so that he’s face to face with Yuto. He’s not entirely sure that Yuto meant to say that out loud, going by his panicked expression and the way he’s frantically texting someone on his phone, but he doesn’t say anything to take it back.

 

“Like a date?” Hyunggu asks, clearly giving Yuto an out if he wants one.

 

Yuto’s eyes go impossibly wider.

 

“Y-yeah, if you’re up for it?” he whispers, not meeting Hyunggu’s eyes. Then, staring directly at Hyunggu’s shoes, “I like you a lot, but I didn’t know if you wanted—or if you even liked—”

 

Hyunggu grins, wide and unrestrained. How is this boy so cute?

 

“Yeah, I’m up for it. I like you, too.”

 

That has Yuto fighting a smile.

 

Hyunggu feels something like hope bubbling up in his gut. This could be something really good, he can feel it.

 

“Okay. It’s a date.”

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Private Chat: (woo)seok my (yu)toes (woo, yu)**

**July 10, 10:40 pm**

**yu**

shit i fuckced up

wait

no

its ok

omg

 

**woo**

u ok?

 

**yu**

i think i’m dead?

 

**woo**

explain?????

 

**yu**

i thought i messed up

but i think its ok

i mean

i have a date

so its more than ok???

 

**woo**

i am surprised?

but also proud??

what happened??

 

**yu**

i

found out he was gay

and kind of asked him out

without meaning to

 

**woo**

but he said yes?

 

**yu**

yes

i am also surprised

 

**woo**

this is the same boy as the pic you accidentally sent?

 

**yu**

no comment

 

**woo**

you do a lot of stuff accidentally around this boy

don’t you?

 

**yu**

......

no comment

 

**woo**

:)

you must really like him

and feel comfortable around him

if you let your guard down like that

i’m happy for you yuyu

 

**yu**

i’m happy for me too

 

**woo**

<3

 

**yu**

<3

 


	25. Chapter 25

 

♥♥Summer 20XX Playlist♥♥

 

1.[Goodbye (2NE1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w)..................................................3:51

2. [봄날 Spring Day (BTS)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8).........................................4:34

3. [Where You At (NU’EST W)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8-4mBiCSI)...................................3:10

4. [I'll Be Alright/Tonight (Mura Masa)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2EuGFi2bo).....................3:50

5. [Paris, Tokyo (Lupe Fiasco)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2uqGLNm5k)..................................4:30

6. [The Universe (Nomak)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAKPHScin0)........................................5:28

7. [If I Could Tell Her (Ben Platt & Laura Dreyfuss)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7h7c_L_Yp4)...4:08

8. [Michael in the Bathroom (George Salazar)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1P-5Ey4dU)..........4:57

9. [To Find You (Sing Street)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9L4U7Q5ZvI)...................................3:20

10. [Ticket to the Moon (The Solutions)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNA4jHLwiws)..................4:24

11. [Mistake (Drug Restaurant)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYWCfpNDg28)...............................3:53

12. [Stalker (10cm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUk5N48uzQ)).................................................4:12

13. [What If (Tokio Hotel)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIDAzXoliA&index=25&list=PLO8wlEguYSkX0K7kTz1keK22Ep7CRT_9f).......................................3:32

14. [Fit Me (Vanilla Acoustic)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srQs3BL7csg&list=PLO8wlEguYSkX0K7kTz1keK22Ep7CRT_9f&index=38)..................................3:11

15. [what U Need (Lay)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCMdn61JMd4&index=40&list=PLO8wlEguYSkX0K7kTz1keK22Ep7CRT_9f)...........................................3:55

16\. [Save Me (JERO ft. Park Jimin)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wINbxzO2nR0)...........................3:26

17\. [Sober (HYO ft. Unmet Ozcan)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T87wXAJe-_M)..........................2:58

18\. [Lost My Mind (Lily Allen)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQi0ORxEyRA).................................3:47

 

 

☆彡

 

 

_My Lovely Hyunggu,_

 

_We made it! Well kind of, anyway. We’ve come full circle with the playlist and we’re almost halfway through the summer! I hope getting this playlist (especially now that everybody’s added to it) will ease any of your lingering homesickness. Know that we’re all thinking of you and all probably miss you more than you miss us!_

 

_Don’t let the others bully you into being too worried about me; things here are going good. A couple of changes, but its all for the best. I promise, don’t worry. Hope everything is going well with your instagram guy. Stay safe and dance hard! 1 ½ more months!_

 

_Love,_

_Hwitaekie-hyung_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hui is me right now, living in denial.
> 
> Thanks for all of your comments, I love you all :)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write. Enjoy :)

 

**Private Chat: its me, ya boi (yan, hui)**

**July 14, 7:18 pm**

**yan**

yo

you busy?

 

**hui**

no

y?

****

 

**_yan is calling hui…_ **

****

 

_“Yan An?”_

“Hey hyung, you dead?”

 

_“Uh, no. Why?”_

 

“Just wondering.”

 

_“Uh, okay.”_

 

“Hongseok-hyung and Jinho-hyung have been pestering me to talk to you.”

 

_“Why?”_

 

“They think you’re hiding something.”

 

_“Oh. Well I’m not.”_

 

“You know that sounds sketchy, right?”

 

_“Yeah, I know.”_

 

“Okay. Want to talk about it?”

 

_“Uh not right now?”_

 

“Okay. I’m fine with that. I mean as long as you’re not, like, a serial killer or something. I would kind of want to know that.”

 

_“I’ll let you know if I become a serial killer, okay Yan An?”_

 

“Alright. I mean I have some strategies if you’re interested. Like methods of getting rid of bodies and stuff.”

 

_“Yan An, no.”_

 

“Why are all of you Koreans so uptight? Every time I mention sex or murder you all tell me to stop talk—woah!”

 

_“Yan An?”_

 

“Holy fucking shit what are you doing you _psycho_!?”

 

_“Yan An? Yannie? Yan, come on what the fuck is happening?”_

 

 

**_yan has ended the call._ **

****

 

☆彡

 

 

“You know Korean!”

 

Yan An practically jumps a foot in the air when a voice screams at him, right next to his ear. A voice that is definitely a lot closer than 800 miles and not as grainy sounding as Hwitaek’s coming through his phone’s speaker.

 

“Holy fucking shit what are you doing you _psycho_!?”he screams.

 

He’s so startled that he curses and hangs up on Hwitaek, who Jinho had bullied him into checking in on after Hyunggu had messaged him. Apparently he sent Hyunggu a really weird message and added a bunch of breakup songs to their playlist. Jinho had freaked, thinking the worst, but neither Hwitaek nor Hyuna had said anything or posted anything on social media that made it look like they had broken up. Something was wrong with Hwitaek, anyone could see it, but it would probably take a lot for him to confide in anyone. Hwitaek is weird that way.

 

But Hwitaek and his weird behavior are kind of the last things on his mind when he turns toward the voice that yelled at him and comes face to face with his nemesis. The Korean kid, the one with the sweatshirt. And he looks super pissed. Also kind of tired and crazy-eyed, but mostly pissed. He’s standing way too close to Yan An, glaring at him like he personally insulted his mother. Yan An tries to put on his most intimidating face, but he’s still having heart palpitations from getting yelled at unexpectedly in the middle of the street.

 

“What the fuck is your problem?” he asks when the Korean kid doesn’t back off.

 

“You’re a liar!” the Korean kid shouts right in his face. “You knew Korean all along and refused to help me? You suck!”

 

Oh. Oh yeah. He had done that. He realizes belatedly that the kid had probably heard him talking to Hwitaek out in front of his uncle's convenience store in Korean. But that doesn’t really justify this kid yelling at him.

 

“Look, kid, just calm down. Sorry I didn’t help you or whatever—” he starts, but he gets cut off by the Korean kid taking another step closer.

 

“I don’t want your apology! You were mean and you screamed at me when I was lost!” the kid sneers. At least as much as someone can sneer when calling someone ‘mean’. Personally, Yan An would have gone with dick, jackass, really any number of other colorful phrases he’d picked up in Korea over the years, but he doesn’t think the kid would appreciate a mini lesson in Korean expletives right now.

 

“I didn’t know, okay? Now can you back off?” Yan An tries not to sound like he’s pleading, but this guy is super angry and super into Yan An’s personal space and he really doesn’t want to get beat up on the sidewalk. The kid is tall and he’s wearing a t-shirt that makes it apparent that he works out at least a little bit. Compared to him, Yan An kind of feels like a noodle. He makes a mental note to ask Hongseok to force him to work out with him when they get back to Korea so Yan An won’t crumple like a piece of paper like he’s sure to do when this kid punches him.

 

“No, I won’t back off! Y-you back off!” the kid yells.

 

And while Yan An might have made fun of his comeback in another situation, the kid also swings his right arm forward and all Yan An can do is freeze and squeeze his eyes shut, waiting for the impending impact of the kid’s fist with his jaw or stomach, whichever he prefers. And as he’s waiting, he realizes the tables have turned. He yelled at this kid weeks ago, intimidated him and probably made him feel as scared and confused as Yan An does now.

 

Empathy hits him in the gut, not a fist, followed quickly by guilt. Honestly, he kind of deserves to get hit for scaring the kid like he did.

 

But instead of a punch like he’s expecting, Yan An just feels his phone get tugged out of his left hand where he’s been clutching it during their entire interaction. He opens his eyes and stares dumbstruck at the other kid, who looks just as perplexed as Yan An feels.

 

They alternate staring at each other and Yan An’s phone now held in the stranger’s hands, neither of them moving an inch because Yan An doesn’t know what to do. He wants his phone back, but he also doesn’t want to get punched even if he deserves it.

 

Just as he’s about to open his mouth to politely beg as non-violently as possible for his phone back, a look of horror passes over the kid’s face before he promptly turns on his heel and sprints away, down the block and out of sight.

 

Yan An can’t get his legs to work fast enough and only makes it a couple of steps before he deems his chase hopeless. That fucker just stole his phone. What does he do now?

****

 

☆彡

**Private Chat: pretty petty (won, ggu)**

**July 14, 7:52 pm**

**ggu**

jhyg

fuccck

hghsih

i

call?

 

**won**

wtf?

 

 

**_ggu is calling won…_ **

 

“Hyung! Hyung oh my god oh my god oh my god—”

 

_“Changgu? What’s happening? Please calm down, I can’t understand you. Are you crying?”_

 

“Hyung I think I just robbed someone.”

 

_“…What?”_

 

“I j—just robbed someone, hyung! Oh my god what did I do? I’m going to get arrested—”

 

_“Changgu take a deep breath for me please, okay? Can you do that?”_

 

“—”

 

_“Are you safe? Where are you?”_

 

“I’m at my host family’s house. In my room.”

 

_“Okay, good. Are you hurt?”_

 

“Physically, no. Emotionally, I’m scarred for life.”

 

_“Uh, okay. Do you want to tell me what happened?”_

“No but I can.”

 

_“Changgu. Please tell me what happened, you’re scaring me.”_

 

“I just robbed someone, Shinwonnie-hyung.”

 

_“…What?”_

 

“It was that guy, the one that yelled at me in Mandarin! I had a bad day, like class sucked and I lost some money-it literally just flew out of my hands-and then I saw that scary guy speaking in Korean. Something just came over me and I snapped a-and I started yelling at him and I took his phone? He di-didn’t try to take it back, just looked all surprised and stuff, and then I realized I took his phone and I ran away? I robbed some innocent, hot, Chinese guy. Hyung, what do I do?”

 

_“Oh my god Changgu. How—never mind, just give him his phone back!”_

 

“But I’m scared!”

 

_“They can, like, trace phones and shit nowadays can’t they? Better just give it back and beg for forgiveness.”_

 

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god—”

 

_“Hey calm down, please? Take more breaths, yeah, you got it. Now. You know where he works, right? Take it back to his work, okay? If he’s not there, leave it with the attendant and say that you found it outside or something. Can you do that?”_

 

“I don’t know—”

 

_“You kind of have to, Changgu-ah. I’ll stay on the phone with you if you want.”_

 

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Stay with me please.”

 

_“If you see any signs of trouble, just put the phone down and book it out of there, okay?”_

 

“Okay.”

 

_“Are you going?”_

 

“No.”

 

_“Why not?”_

 

“My legs aren’t working.”

 

_“Changgu...”_

 

“Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute. I sprinted all the way home and my entire body feels like jelly. I thought he was going to punch me, I was so scared—”

 

_“Okay, okay. Just take your time, I guess? Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you can get your host dad to go with you or something.”_

 

“No, I’m okay. I don’t want him to realize he’s host-raising a criminal.”

 

_“You’re not a criminal, Changgu, you’re just…well, I don’t know.”_

 

“Me either. China is changing me, hyung. Promise you won’t leave me?”

 

_“I would never.”_

 

“I’m crying, but it’s a good cry. I promise.”

 

_“Okay. I believe you. Are you going now?”_

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m taking the subway though. I finally figured it out, no map needed!”

 

_“That’s good!”_

 

“It only took me a month, but I finally got it.”

 

_“Hey, it’s okay. Some things take time.”_

 

“Yeah. Thanks for staying with me like this, hyung. Shit, I didn’t even think about the time difference. What time is it in LA?”

 

_“Uh, actually…I’m not in LA.”_

 

“Oh. Did you go on location for a shoot?”

 

_“No. Um, actually Changgu…while you’re here…can I talk to you about something?”_

 

“Sure, hyung. Anything.”

 

 

**A 10-minute subway ride later…**

 

“Fuck. I’m sorry hyung. That sounds awful. I wished I could have been there for you.”

 

_“It was, and I’m sorry for not telling you. I just…couldn’t. I dunno.”_

 

“It’s okay. Just. I know we’ve been asking you about LA a lot and that couldn’t have been helping.”

 

_“No, it’s fine. Plus Wooseokie helped a lot. Actually, he’s the only other one that knows I got fired, and I kind of want to keep it that way.”_

 

“Okay.”

 

_“I’m gonna tell the others, just…not yet.”_

 

“It’s okay, hyung I get it. Why do you think I called you instead of freaking in the group chat?”

 

_“Aw, Changgu, I’m touched—”_

“Oh you’ve got to be shitting me!”

 

_“What is it?”_

 

“It’s closed. I’m at the store and it’s fucking closed.”

 

_“Well. Fuck.”_

“What now?”

 

_“I dunno, Changgu. I don’t know.”_

 


	27. Chapter 27

 

**Group Chat: PentaGONE (Jini, HuiHui, Seoki, Yawnni, KiKi)**

**July 15, 12:12 am**

**Yawnni**

um hello?

 

**HuiHui**

yan, you ok?

that call was weird

 

**Jini**

wait, what happened?

 

**HuiHui**

yan called me

but he got cut off and

it sounded like he got in a fight?

 

**Jini**

omg yannie are you ok??

 

**Yawnni**

um

yes

 

**HuiHui**

what does that mean?

 

**Jini**

why did you say ‘um’??

 

**Seoki**

just woke up and my parental senses are tingling

whats wrong?

 

**Yawnni**

ok

this is kind of weird to say

and please don’t hate me

 

**Jini**

just tell us please

we can never hate you

 

**HuiHui**

yeah

nothing you do will make us hate you yan

 

**Yawnni**

the thing is

i’m not ‘yawnni’

 

**Jini**

what do you mean?

 

**Yawnni**

ok

uh

i’m assuming ‘yawnni’ is your friend?

and i’m not him

 

**HuiHui**

explain

 

**Seoki**

i’m so close to calling the police

what the fuck is happening

if this is a joke, its not funny yan

 

**Yawnni**

my name is yeo changgu

i accidentally stole your friend’s phone

and i’d like to return it to him

 

**Jini**

WHAT THE FUCK

 

**HuiHui**

how did you accidentally steal his phone?

are you one of his friends?

 

**Seoki**

he doesn’t even know yan an’s name

how can he be his friend?

 

**Yawnni**

uh

we’re kind of acquaintances?

he works at the convenience store i go to a lot

 

**HuiHui**

again

how did you accidentally steal his phone?

 

**Yawnni**

please

i just want to return it to him and forget this ever happened

 

**HuiHui**

we’re going to need some explanation

 

 

**_Seoki changed Yawnni to Imposter_ **

 

 

**KiKi**

i was trying to sleep but

what is happening????

 

**Jini**

i’m calling yan’s aunt and uncle

 

**Imposter**

well

uh

 

**Seoki**

say ‘uh’ one more time i dare you

 

**Imposter**

ok

a while ago

your friend kind of yelled at me in the middle of the street?

like really scarily and in mandarin

which i’m studying but i’m really slow at learning languages

(which is also why i texted this gc because it’s in his recents

and one of the only ones in Korean)

and i’ve talked to him in Korean before and he never responded

so i assumed he didn’t know Korean

but then i saw him in the plaza close to where he works

and he was speaking Korean

and something in me just snapped?

i yelled at him and called him a liar and

i guess i kind of took his phone

and then ran away because i got scared?

anyways i’m really really sorry

and i just want to fix it

so please let me know where your friend is so i can return his phone

 

**KiKi**

am i the only one thinking….

 

**Seoki**

no

is this u?

 

**Imposter**

what the fuck?

 

**Seoki**

i’ll take that as a yes

you’re yan’s stalker?

 

**Imposter**

no?

i’ve never stalked him!

its more like he stalked me!

 

**Seoki**

you followed him on his way to work

he was so fucking scared

 

**Imposter**

well i was lost in a strange city

and he threw off vibes that were at least not those of a serial killer

so i thought he was ok

 

**HuiHui**

ok

can everyone just calm down a little while we figure this out?

 

**Seoki**

no i cannot because this bitch hurt my friend!

 

**Imposter**

i didn’t hurt him i swear

i just grabbed his phone and ran

 

**Jini**

just got off the phone with yan

he’s at his aunt and uncle’s

he’s ok

a little spooked and a little mad

understandably

 

**Imposter**

i’m sorry

 

**Seoki**

stop apologizing

 

**Jini**

i’m not giving you his address

but you know where he works

he’ll be there tomorrow at 9 am

be there with his phone or he’s calling the police

 

**Imposter**

don’t worry i’ll be there

 

**Seoki**

ever stalk my friend again

i will go to china and hunt you down

 

**Jini**

oh shit

 

**Seoki**

are we clear?

 

**Imposter**

crystal

 

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**Group Chat: Losers <33333 (Wonton, Ed, yeoyo, Yuto, Not Yuto)**

**July 15, 12:49 am**

**yeoyo**

ok i did the thing

 

**Wonton**

what thing?

 

**yeoyo**

the thing i told you about?

that you told me to do???

 

**Not Yuto**

uh

what thing?

 

**yeoyo**

oh

nothing

 

**Wonton**

i tried to help u dude

 

**Ed**

what thing did you do??

and why did shinwon tell you to do it?

omg is it peer pressure???

 

**yeoyo**

no

its stupid

 

**Wonton**

did anyone call the police?

 

**Not Yuto**

wait why r police involved?

 

**Ed**

omg it IS peer pressure

is it drugs?

prostitution?

figure skating???

 

**yeoyo**

won-hyung wtf?

i trusted you

 

**Not Yuto**

why is figure skating up there with drugs and prostitution?

 

**Wonton**

srry but this is easer than opening the other chat

 

**Yuto**

why are you all interrupting my sleep

 

**Ed**

changgu was peer pressured by shinwon to become a figure skater

 

**Yuto**

……

wat

 

**yeoyo**

ffs

you'll all probably find out eventually

but

i accidentally stole someone’s phone

and i’m trying to return it to them

 

**Not Yuto**

how does that even happen??

 

**yeoyo**

idk wooseok

i just reached out and took it?

then i ran home and cried

i feel better now but i was truly freaked

apparently one of the guy’s friends called his aunt?

and he’s ok

so

i’m going tomorrow to return it to his work

 

**Yuto**

you…reached out and took it?

 

**yeoyo**

yes

 

**Yuto**

why?

 

**yeoyo**

he was speaking Korean

when he had pretended to not understand me in the past when i spoke it

 

**Not Yuto**

hyung

you can’t just take anyone’s phone when they speak the same language as u

 

**Ed**

yeah if i did that i’d have like

at least 3 phones

 

**Not Yuto**

well ur not wrong?

 

**yeoyo**

look

i was tired and angry

and now i’m just traumatized

and v embarrassed

 

**Ed**

smh

not sure if phone stealing is better or worse than figure skating tbh

 

**Yuto**

how can it be better??

 

**Ed**

you’ve obviously never watched the olympics

they’re all basically demons in tights

 

**Yuto**

wtf?

 

**Wonton**

ignore him, all of you

i’m proud of you changgu

 

**Ed**

do not condone his illegal activities

 

**Wonton**

i’m not!

i’m proud of him for being brave and giving the phone back

i’m sure it will all turn out fine

 

**yeoyo**

tell me that tomorrow

 

 

☆彡

 

**Group Chat: Parents <3 (hyunggu, jinho-hyung, hongseok-hyung)**

**July 15, 1:23 am**

**hyunggu**

ugh i can’t sleep

**jinho-hyung**

me either

**hyunggu**

is yannie-hyung really ok?

**jinho-hyung**

he seemed fine on the phone

just kind of confused

hold on

**_jinho-hyung added Lee Hwitaek to the chat_ **

**jinho-hyung**

now we can all talk without that imposter

 

**_hyunggu changed Lee Hwitaek to hui-hyung_ **

****

****

**hyunggu**

now all my parents are here

**hui-hyung**

i’m honored

**hongseok-hyung**

back to the matter at hand

do you think its actually safe to have this guy go to yan’s work?

 

**hyunggu**

actually

i did some digging

**hongseok-hyung**

spill

**hyunggu**

well remember when we found out seoul u has a sister school in shanghai?

 

**hongseok-hyung**

no

**hyunggu**

it was when yan-hyung was first talking about a Korean kid (later turned into the stalker) in his store

and said he had a seoul u sweatshirt?

well seoul u has a sister school in shanghai

bc my friend was going to study there this summer but had to drop out last second

**jinho-hyung**

oh yeah, the food poisoning

**hyunggu**

yeah

anyways

i assumed that hyung’s stalker must go to seoul u

right?

**hongseok-hyung**

ok

**hyunggu**

and today in the chat

the stalker said his name

yeo changgu

**hongseok-hyung**

so?

**hyunggu**

so

i searched his name on the school’s directory

and yeo changgu exists

and he looks just like the stalker guy from the pics yan-hyung sent us

thats his school id pic

he’s the same age as yannie-hyung

listed as a theater arts major

**hongsoek-hyung**

so??

**hyunggu**

so doesn’t that prove he’s a little bit trustworthy?

 

**hongseok-hyung**

not to me

he stole yan’s fucking phone

**hui-hyung**

i think what seok means to say is that

while we appreciate your sleuthing

**hyunggu**

thank

**hui-hyung**

just because he goes to your school doesn’t mean he’s a good person

**hyunggu**

yeah

i’m just trying to be optimistic

**hongseok-hyung**

but if all else fails

knowing that he goes to seoul u

will make it easier to find and maim him

 

**hui-hyung**

maybe we should chill on the maiming front?

**hyunggu**

yeah, hyung

i know you care about yan-hyung a lot

we all do

but

did you really have to bust out the ab picture???

**jinho-hyung**

yeah

what was that about??

what was that even from?

do you just have pics of your abs saved on your phone?

**hongseok-hyung**

i

may have gone overboard there

i wanted to seem threatening and abs seemed like a proper way to convey the threat

and to answer your question

i do keep a few pics, just for reference

or for situations such as this

**jinho-hyung**

huh

**hongseok-hyung**

it was from that bodybuilding competition i hosted at school a while ago

**hui-hyung**

why would you show your abs if there were literal bodybuilders there

to literally show off their bodies?

**jinho-hyung**

leave him alone

it

they’re nice

**hongseok-hyung**

it was a dare lol

but thanks hyung :)

 

**jinho-hyung**

ur

welcme

 

**hyunggu**

um

getting back on track

…

if you don’t want hyung to meet with this guy

are there really any other options???

 

**hongseok-hyung**

no, not really

unless we just let that imposter keep yan’s phone

 

**jinho-hyung**

when he gets it back

i’m going to lecture him about proper phone security

so this doesn’t happen again

 

**hui-hyung**

shit i didn’t think about that

i’m picking out a new passcode

 

**hyunggu**

forget that

i have thumbprint recognition

 

**hongseok-hyung**

i guess yan was just relying on looking threatening to stop pple from snoopin in his stuff

like i do

guess we can’t all pull it off

 

**hui-hyung**

wdym?

you’re not threatening at all?

 

**hongseok-hyung**

you want me to send more ab pics?

 

**jinho-hyung**

NO

uh

i mean we should all get some sleep, ok?

well those of us in my time zone anyways

 

**hyunggu**

yeah

i guess you’re right hyung

 

**jinho-hyung**

yan’s aunt has my number if anything happens tomorrow

 

**hui-hyung**

ok, let us know asap!

 

**jinho-hyung**

gn everyone

 

**hui-hyung**

night!

 

**hyunggu**

sweet dreams~

 

**hongseok-hyung**

goodnight <333

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seoki: are we clear?  
> Imposter: crystal  
> my brain: we are clc


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have written this out but I was feeling lazy and welp...here you go!

 

**Group Chat: PentaGONE (Jini, HuiHui, Seoki, Imposter, KiKi)**

**July 15, 9:44 am**

**_Imposter changed their name to Yawnni_ **

****

**Yawnni**

i’m back

 

**Seoki**

how do we know it’s you?

 

**Yawnni**

want me to remind you about those dreams hyung?

 

**KiKi**

what dreams?

 

**Seoki**

oh don’t worry, its yannie

 

**KiKi**

no seriously

if you told him about the dreams in text

he could have read the convo

 

**Seoki**

oh god

 

**Jini**

its yan

ur aunt just called me to let me know ur ok

 

**Seoki**

wow i love her

**_Seoki changed Yawnni to <3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

**KiKi**

WELCOME BACK!

WE MISSED YOU!!

 

**HuiHui**

glad you’re back yannie!!

how’d it go?

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

not good

i hate everything

 

**Seoki**

?????

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

basically

the kid

 

**KiKi**

Changgu?

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

the KID

started spewing his metaphorical guts when he got there

big sobbing mess

and my uncle was there, very confused

asked me to translate for him

and my dumb ass didn’t think to lie

so i told my uncle how much of dick i was to this kid

like yelling at him b4 and shit

and my uncle got mad?

 

**Seoki**

why?

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

idk if he was pissed about losing a customer bc i was rude

and the kid avoided the shop for weeks

or if he was pissed the kid scaring off potential customers bc he was crying so much

but my uncle latched onto the fact that this whole thing became an issue

bc we didn’t communicate well

and that if i’d helped the kid by using Korean, i wouldn’t have yelled at him for following me

and he wouldn’t have stolen my phone

but if he’d known more Mandarin, he would have been able to ask for help too

 

**Seoki**

?????

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

basically my uncle bullied me and this kid into tutoring sessions

 

**Jini**

wat?

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

my uncle is forcing me to tutor my stalker in mandarin

 

**Seoki**

and he just went along with it?

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

ye

especially after my uncle scolded me in front of him about being polite and shit

(not that he understood it)

but i have to hold up my end of the bargain at least

and be available to tutor him

aaaaaaaaaaand he made us exchange numbers

 

**Seoki**

what the fuck?

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

yeah

and i can’t really tell my uncle no bc he’s letting me stay w/ him for free

and helping me earn money for next semester

plus i kind of feel bad? bc i’m pretty sure i made him cry that one time

and this time i guess

 

**KiKi**

if it makes you feel better

he goes to seoul u too

 

**_< 3Yawnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii<3_ **

……

it does not

 

 

☆彡

 

 

**_Yeo Changgu created a new chat_ **

****

**_Yeo Changgu added Unknown to the chat_ **

****

**_Yeo Changgu named the chat I’M REALLYx5 SORRY_ **

****

**Private Chat: I’M REALLYx5 SORRY (Yeo Changgu, Unknown)**

**July 15, 6:39 pm**

 

**Yeo Changgu**

i know i said it earlier

but i just wanted to reiterate

i am deeply sorry

 

**Unknown**

shut the fuck up

 

**Yeo Changgu**

sorry

 

**Unknown**

bc of you my uncle is mad at me

 

**Yeo Changgu**

fuck i’m such an idiot

i didn’t mean to cause you any trouble

 

**Unknown**

well u did

 

**Yeo Changgu**

sorry

i’ll leave you alone

i just wanted you to know

i'm sorry and

i’ll never talk to or bother you again

 

**Unknown**

wait

 

**Yeo Changgu**

?

 

**Unknown**

um

thanks for giving my phone back

and for telling my friends what happened

 

**Yeo Changgu**

you’re welcome

 

**Unknown**

if you didn’t

idk what i would have done

 

**Yeo Changgu**

i felt so stupid for taking it in the first place

 

**Unknown**

did you uh

look at

anything?

while you had my phone i mean??

 

**Yeo Changgu**

no omg

my friend recommended looking thru ur contacts

see if you had anybody Korean who i could talk to

about getting ur phone back

i only opened the group chat don’t worry

just in case you had something like

personal idk

in another chat

 

**Unknown**

oh

thanks

 

**Yeo Changgu**

they seemed very protective of you

your friends

 

**Unknown**

they can be

when they want

 

**Yeo Changgu**

when i told my friends i was crying and freaking out

they just thought it was hilarious

well except shinwon

well kind of

 

**Unknown**

you cried?

again?

 

**Yeo Changgu**

a lil

i’m not really the criminal type

 

**Unknown**

wonder what gave that away

 

**Yeo Changgu**

are you….

teasing me?

 

**Unknown**

maybe?

 

**Yeo Changgu**

hey! i’ve had a very trying night!

 

**Unknown**

what about me???

i thought you were going to punch me!!

 

**Yeo Changgu**

omg i’ve never punched someone in my life

don’t worry

so

 

**Unknown**

yeah

 

**Yeo Changgu**

i guess i’ll leave now?

 

**Unknown**

wait

 

**Yeo Changgu**

again??

 

**Unknown**

don’t you think you owe me?

 

**Yeo Changgu**

uhhhhhhhh

 

**Unknown**

you stole my phone

 

**Yeo Changgu**

i know im sorry

 

**Unknown**

and scared my friends

 

**Yeo Changgu**

hggggggg

i’m sorry again

 

**Unknown**

so don’t you think you owe me?

 

**Yeo Changgu**

not to be like mean or anything

but didn’t you get yelled at by your uncle

bc he thought you owed ME smth?

you yelled at me and made me cry

twice

ok

maybe 3 times

but who’s counting?

 

**Unknown**

are we…..

at a stalemate??

 

**Yeo Changgu**

i mean

it wouldn’t hurt to get Mandarin lessons

i’ve been here for a month and my overall comprehension is like 0.01%

 

**Unknown**

yeah, i know

 

**Yeo Changgu**

......

rude

 

**Unknown**

………

let’s make a deal

 

**Yeo Changgu**

i’m listening

 

**Unknown**

i help you learn mandarin

and i set the date and time and location

 

**Yeo Changgu**

….

what’s in it for you?

 

**Unknown**

you become my slave

 

**Yeo Changgu**

wtf?

i’m not gonna be ur sex slave

 

**Unknown**

nothing sexual tf?

just like

buy me breakfast?

maybe do some of my chores

 

**Yeo Changgu**

why????

 

**Unknown**

bc my cousins are little shits and eat all of my food

and i’m poor

and lazy

and you stole my phone

 

**Yeo Changgu**

hmmmmm

tutoring sessions can’t be during my class times

and locations have to be public

 

**Unknown**

of course

i don’t trust you yet to tutor you in private

stalker

 

**Yeo Changgu**

wtf i don’t trust YOU

i don’t even know your name

 

**Unknown**

its Yan An

 

**Yeo Changgu**

ok

 

 

**_Yeo Changgu changed Unknown to Yan An_ **

 

 

**Yeo Changgu**

there

 

**Yan An**

deal?

 

**Yeo Changgu**

hmmmmmmm

deal

only bc i’m desperate

and i hate my conscience

 

**Yan An**

good

i hate my conscience too

 

 

**_Yan An changed the chat name to Slave_ **

 

 

**Yeo Changgu**

what have i done?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But how much did Yan An's uncle ACTUALLY force him to exchange numbers with Changgu??
> 
> Thank you for all of your comments and kudos, I love you all :)


End file.
